McDonald man accused in New Year’s gun incident
McDonald police arrested a man this week and searched his home after he was accused of firing guns toward other homes on New Year’s Day.
A post on McDonald police’s Facebook page states that Raymond Bertovich III was arrested Monday at the office of Magisterial District Judge Jack Kearney in Oakdale. There was an active warrant for Bertovich’s arrest on misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and possession of an instrument of crime.
Charges were initially filed on Jan. 23 through the office of Judge Louis McQuillan in Washington County, but those charges were withdrawn and refiled at Kearney’s office on Tuesday. The incident occurred at Bertovich’s home at 452 Fannie St., which is on the Allegheny County side of McDonald.
According to the criminal complaint, at about 12:30 a.m. Jan. 1 a neighbor called 911 to report that Bertovich, 32, was standing on his back deck firing a gun toward homes on Fairmont Street.
Investigators received at least five videos of the incident. Charging documents allege that Bertovich fired at least two different guns. Court records state that he fired “dragon’s breath” shotgun rounds, which ignite when exposed to the air.
This creates a “spectacular shower of sparks and flame that can extend 15 to 100 feet from the muzzle,” the complaint states.
According to police, officers served a search warrant at Bertovich’s home after his arrest. Police seized two pistols and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, as well as an AR-type semiautomatic rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and an AK-47 semiautomatic rifle. Police said Bertovich will face additional charges.
Bertovich was arraigned Tuesday afternoon before Kearney. He was released after posting $10,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 9.