Police: Man kills attacker outside West Pike Run home
The scene where a Fredericktown man was shot to death by a West Pike Run Township resident Sunday night
Andrew Graseck
A 74-year-old man fended off two attackers outside his West Pike Run Township home Sunday night, fatally shooting one of them during what police said was a robbery attempt.
State police said two men wearing masks and wielding wooden ax handles arrived at Nicholas Dziyak’s home at 93 McGirts Road about 8:40 p.m. and cut the power to his camper, planning to lure him outside to beat and rob him.
Robert Joseph West and Andrew Graseck then knocked on the door and beat Dziyak as he stepped outside his residence, police said. Dziyak was struck multiple times in the head, face, chest and arm, police said, before he pulled a handgun and shot West multiple times, striking him at least once in the head.
West, 42, of Crawford Road, Fredericktown, died at the scene from a gunshot wound to his head, Washington County Coroner Tim Warco said.
Police said Graseck, 18, of 875 Browns Ferry Road, Carmichaels, was not injured and ran to a neighbor’s house, where he asked the resident to call 911. Police charged Graseck with multiple counts of robbery and aggravated assault, and one count each of simple assault, reckless endangerment and harassment. He is being held in Washington County jail on $50,000 bond.
Dziyak was taken to Mon Valley Hospital with a severe head laceration that required 15 staples to close, along with contusions to his chest and left wrist, police said. His head appeared bloodied and bruised Monday morning when a reporter approached him on his property. Dziyak declined to comment as he left his residence.
State police Trooper Matthew Jardine said West worked as a contractor for Dziyak before the two had a disagreement that prompted Dziyak to threaten a lawsuit.
Jardine said investigators think West and Graseck, who is dating West’s daughter, intended to beat and rob Dziyak in retaliation for the potential lawsuit. Online court records show Dziyak had not filed a lawsuit against West prior to the attack.
Jardine said it was “quite a melee” before Dziyak pulled out his handgun and fired at both of his attackers while lying on the ground.
The fatal shooting came just one day after another homeowner in the Mon Valley shot and killed an intruder during a home invasion in California Borough. Emanuel Ladson, 37, of Pittsburgh died of a gunshot wound to his chest after the resident discovered him inside his home early Saturday morning. Authorities have not identified that homeowner but said they do not expect to file charges.
Staff writer Scott Beveridge contributed to this report.