Jan 3, 2019 4 min read

Ten years of karate lessons paid off for a 22-year-old Nemacolin woman who took down an alleged burglar on her property early New Year’s morning.

Hannah Hughes, who lives on Bliss Avenue, was across the street at her parents’ residence for their New Year’s celebration about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday when her mother saw through the window a stranger inside her daughter’s home.

“It was right after the New Year ball had dropped,” Hannah’s mother, Deborah Hughes, said in an interview Wednesday. “I was walking our guests out the door, and I saw someone walk through the hallway at her house.”

Deborah told Hannah that someone was in her house, to which Hannah replied, “There better not be.”

“I ran out the door, and the only thing I could think was if I get to him, he’s not getting away,” Hannah said Wednesday.

Hannah ran to her house to investigate with her mother and father, Tim Hughes, close behind her. That’s when Edward William Staley, 19, of 76 Cumberland Village, Carmichaels, exited her front door, according to court documents. Hannah had no idea who he was and told Cumberland Township police that she had never seen him before.

She saw him throwing mud and rocks on her father’s truck. She said she was able to grab his hair and flip him to the ground.

Cumberland Township police said in the criminal complaint that Staley fought back, grabbing Hannah by the throat, causing red marks and scratches. But Hannah was still able to take him down.

“She took karate for 10 years and it just all kicked in,” Deborah said about Hannah. “She took him down and held him in a position where he could not move. She told him, ‘Don’t move or I will break your neck.’ I thought, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening.'”

Hannah’s father and another relative, Donald Whyel, took over for Hannah, holding Staley on the ground, while waiting for police to arrive. Hannah then went inside her house to see if anyone else was inside and to check if anything had been stolen.

Meanwhile, Staley started foaming at the mouth, Deborah said. She said that when police arrived, they called for medics because Staley had vomited and appeared to be overdosing. Police said he was not responsive.

Police said that after a few minutes, he woke up, but did not know where he was or how he got there. He told police he was from Cleveland and initially refused treatment. Eventually he was taken to Uniontown Hospital for treatment and later arrested. State police and Masontown police assisted at the scene.

Staley was charged with burglary, criminal trespassing, simple assault, criminal mischief, prowling at night and harassment. He was arraigned Tuesday night by District Judge Lee Watson and released after posting a $10,000 bond.

Hannah said that her relative who lives in the same area had chased Staley off her porch earlier that night.

“It definitely seemed like he was high on something, but I don’t think he just stumbled into the wrong house,” Hannah said. “I think he was looking to cause trouble.”

Deborah said it was an unsettling way to bring in the New Year-first to have a stranger in her daughter’s house, then to watch him overdose in their yard.

“It’s sad that these drugs are taking over these kids,” she said. “I’ve lived in this town for 21 years, and I grew up here, and I’ve never had an issue. For this to happen is the scariest thing. After everything was over, we were just glad that nobody was hurt.”

Hannah, a college senior who’s studying broadcast communications, said the incident left her feeling a little unsettled as well. She said falling asleep in her house after that incident wasn’t easy.

“I was listening to every little creak in the house after that,” she said. “You just keep thinking, this is real, this happened.”

Deborah said they’ve already started ramping up security around their properties. She said that on Wednesday, she ran into one of Hannah’s former karate teachers, and thanked her for the years of lessons.

“I told her that my daughter actually had to use it on a would-be robber,” Deborah said. “And she said ‘good job.'”