Donora man jailed in stabbings at Mon Valley bar
A Donora man is accused of stabbing three people, leaving two of them with severe injuries, after one of the victims teased the suspect in a Mon Valley bar about his criminal history.
Westmoreland County detectives and police in North Belle Vernon jointly arrested Eric Demont Cook, 43, of 508 Market St., on three counts of attempted homicide and related charges, court records show.
The victims – Elisa Lenzi, Christopher Chambers and James Lookabaugh – were stabbed about 1:30 a.m. March 7 in Just A Tavern in North Belle Vernon, where they had gathered over beers, police stated in the affidavit.
Lenzi recognized Cook, whom she has known since childhood, and she decided to introduce him to her friends, police said in charging documents.
She said Cook had a “weird look on his face” when his eyes focused on Lookabaugh. Cook then mentioned to the group that he had just gotten out of prison and is a felon, court records state.
“Lookabaugh jokingly said, ‘I wouldn’t put that on my resume,'” police said in the affidavit.
Cook is then accused of pulling a folding knife with about a 5-inch blade before “all hell broke loose,” police said.
He also is accused of calling the group “redneck crackers” while his arm was flailing around, police said.
Lenzi looked down and noticed her leg was bleeding and that Chambers was badly bleeding from his face.
Chambers later needed 70 stitches to close the wounds on his neck, chest and upper arm, court records indicate.
Lookabaugh opted to leave the bar at 508 Broad Ave., only to later realized that he, too, had been stabbed. He was stabbed three inches from his heart and required 16 staples to close the wounds on his side.
Cook also is charged with three count of aggravated assault, and six of simple assault.
District Judge Chris Flanigan denied bail for Cook at the suspect’s arraignment Wednesday afternoon, noting in court records that he is a danger to the community.
He is being held in Westmoreland County Jail. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2011 to dealing in cocaine, online court records show.