Attorney: Suspect is decorated veteran
The attorney for an Ohio man who prompted the evacuation of a North Strabane Township hotel said his client is a decorated veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
John Duncan Heina, 31, of North Ridgeville, also claimed he had a gun and was going to kill himself or others and allegedly sexually assaulted a hotel housekeeper.
Heina waived his case to court Wednesday. He had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing before District Judge Jay Weller. North Strabane police charged him with unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, terroristic threats, attempted rape, terroristic threats by causing the evacuation of a building and causing serious public inconvenience, simple assault and indecent assault stemming from the March 10 incident at Cambria Suites, 451 Racetrack Road.
Police were called just after 11 a.m. to the hotel for a report of a man with a gun threatening to kill someone, who wanted to kill himself and wanted police to kill him. The man, identified as Heina, also pulled the fire alarm, prompting the evacuation of the building. Other nearby businesses were closed and secured.
Heina was found and taken into custody. A housekeeper told police that Heina, who was nude, came into a room she was cleaning and tried to sexually assault her. She was able to get away and call the front desk.
Co-workers came to her aid and pulled Heina off of her, police said.
Heina and a woman apparently got a room at the hotel. She told police that she left after he started acting strangely. The Washington County Regional SWAT team searched the hotel for Heina’s reported acquaintance as well as a gun, finding neither.
Defense attorney Pete Marcoline said his client is a U.S. Marine who did two tours in Iraq, one in 2003 before returning in 2005 to serve in Fallujah.
“He was in the thick of everything,” his attorney said.
Marcoline said Heina, who had been diagnosed with PTSD and was receiving treatment from the Veterans Administration in Ohio, had served on the front lines. Marcoline said the treatment was not fully helping and believed the incident was a result.
“There was no indication that he was intoxicated or under the influence of a controlled substance,” Marcoline said. “This was a manifestation of his illness.”
“He has received medals and lives by the code of the Marines of honor daily,” the attorney added. “He is mortified by what happened and is ready to get treatment.”
Heina also suffered a similar episode several years ago in Ohio, Marcoline said.
By agreeing to waive his case, Heina’s bond was reduced from $100,000 to $25,000. He also will have to comply with recommendations from pre-trial services.
“Hopefully you can get the help you need so this stuff stops,” Weller told Heina as he signed paperwork.
Heina will be formally arraigned on the charges June 28.