Teenagers arrested for firing pellet guns at pedestrians
Donora police arrested three teenagers accused of shooting Orbeez guns at pedestrians from inside a vehicle Sunday night.
Kaiden Paul Mayernik, 18, of Monessen, is charged with a felony of riot with intent to commit a felony, and misdemeanors of corruption of minors, propelling a missile into occupied vehicles, simple assault, reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct and harassment.
Court records state two other teenagers arrested were juveniles, and were not identified.
Orbeez guns fire gel pellets.
According to the criminal complaint, at about 4:15 p.m. Philip Mercurio reported to police that his 11-year-old daughter was shot in the head and forehead multiple times by a group of teenagers with Orbeez guns in the 100 block of Modisette Avenue.
Mercurio told officers the group was in a blue BMW sedan.
Shortly before 6 p.m. John Montero called police and said a group of teenagers in a blue sedan had shot him with the pellet guns while he was walking in the 900 block of McKean Avenue.
Police pulled the vehicle over at the entrance of Highland Terrace. Mayernik was driving the vehicle, while the two juveniles were in the rear seats.
According to the complaint, there were four Orbeez guns in the car as well as hundreds of pellets.
Later Sunday evening, Alexis Pritchett said her daughter had also been hit by the teenagers in the 100 block of Modisette Avenue. Pritchett said her daughter tripped while running down a set of stairs and was going to the hospital for injuries to her left shin and right ankle.
Mayernik was arraigned Monday morning before District Judge Phillippe Melograne, who sent him to the Washington County jail on $25,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Nov. 24.