Man making threats at North Strabane hotel in custody
Police from numerous departments have been called to Cambria Suites on Racetrack Road in North Strabane Township, for a report of a man with a gun threatening to harm himself or others. The man was in a room at the hotel.
One man was in custody after police were called Thursday to Cambria Suites on Racetrack Road in North Strabane Township. A man reportedly threatened to harm himself or others while in a room at the hotel.
Cambria Suites on Racetrack Road in North Strabane Township was evacuated after a man inside one of the rooms reportedly threatened to harm himself or others. The man was taken into custody.
An Ohio man who called the 911 dispatch center Thursday morning from a North Strabane Township hotel claiming he had a gun and threatened to kill himself before allegedly sexually assaulting a housekeeper faces numerous charges including attempted rape and two counts of terroristic threats for causing evacuation of the hotel and public inconvenience.
The North Ridgeville man also will be charged false imprisonment, simple assault and indecent assault. He will be identified when police obtain a warrant for his arrest. The man is at Washington Hospital for evaluation.
Township police were called to Cambria Suites, 451 Racetrack Road, after the man reportedly called the dispatch center at 11:07 a.m., claiming he was going to kill himself and wanted police to shoot him, township police Lt. Kris Wagstaff said.
The man and a woman, who told police she had previously known him and were reconnecting, had just gotten a room on the third floor at the hotel.
“They were talking and decided to get something to eat,” Wagstaff said. “He was only wearing a jacket and jeans, no shoes or shirt. When she made a comment, he started to act funny and then got on the phone.”
“She said there was nothing off about him until then,” the lieutenant added. “She told us that she ran out of the room because she was frightened. That was probably the best thing she could have done. She thought he may have shot himself.”
The suspect came into contact with the housekeeper, who was working in another room on the third floor.
“He went in and accosted her,” Wagstaff said. “He tore her shirt and was trying to pull off her pants.”
Wagstaff said the housekeeper was able to get to a telephone and call the front desk. Her assailant knocked the telephone from her hand. Wagstaff said the housekeeper managed to get into the hallway by stabbing her attacker with a pen. He had her on the floor when an employee arrived and pulled the Ohio man off her. He and another employee were able to subdue the attacker, who was naked, and wrap him in blankets until police arrived. The housekeeper declined treatment at the scene.
Members of the Washington Regional SWAT team searched the hotel just after noon, looking for the gun and the woman who was with the Ohio man. She later showed up at the state police barracks on Murtland Avenue where she told her story to township police. Wagstaff said no gun was seen with the Ohio man.
Wagstaff said it was mostly hotel staff who had to be evacuated from the building. He said there was never a hostage situation.
Numerous agencies assisted at the scene including state police along with officers from Canonsburg, Washington, Cecil, Chartiers and South Strabane townships, the Washington County Department of Public Safety, Washington County sheriffs and North Strabane firefighters.
Police were intitially dispatched to a hotel on Meadowlands Boulevard. Wagstaff said his department has requested the 911 tapes to determine the source of the confusion.