Brookville Man Accused of Making Harassing Phone Calls in Presence of Juvenile

BROOKVILLE BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – A Brookville man is accused of making harassing phone calls in the presence of a juvenile.

Court documents indicate the Brookville Borough Police Department on Friday, February 28, filed criminal charges against 40-year-old Warren Richard Thrush, of Brookville.

According to a criminal complaint, around 1:00 p.m. on February 20, Officer Stormer, of the Brookville Borough Police Department, was asked to contact a known individual regarding harassing phone calls.

Chief Vince Markle and Officer Stormer spoke to the victim, who reported that he and two other individuals had received restricted phone calls on the evening of February 10. The victim reported they had all ignored the calls and were left voicemails by someone attempting to disguise their voice.

The victim said he received a voicemail “about having hemorrhoids” and other unwanted conversation. He reported the second victim had received a message from a male voice instructing him to go to the hospital because “Shaq” was in kidney failure and was dying.

The complaint notes “Shaq” was an old nickname for the first victim that hadn’t been commonly used in recent years.

According to the complaint, the third victim received a message from a male voice threatening to cause him physical harm by using “lewd and alarming” language.

Officer Stormer met with each of the victims and listened to each of the messages. The messages were determined to be from a male, and the message sounded “like someone was trying to cause alarm or annoyance through an altered voice,” according to the complaint.

The three victims knew each other through local sports. After the second victim received the voicemail about the first victim, he made several phone calls to the first victim, his wife, and other family members to find out what was happening. When he called to check on the first victim, the first victim disclosed he had also received an alarming voicemail from a restricted phone number. The third victim did not know about the other two victims receiving messages until it was openly discussed at a public event.

According to the complaint, the first victim also reported he was told that a juvenile had been telling students at an area school that he was present while Warren Thrush made the suspect phone calls and left the messages for the three victims. The victim said there had been problems with Thrush in the past when he and the second victim were involved in a local sports organization.

On February 26, Officer Hollobaugh, of the Brookville Borough Police Department, interviewed a known juvenile. The juvenile reported he was with Thursh when Thrush used his personal cell phone to call the three victims and left them all voicemails in a disguised voice, the complaint states.

Officer Hollobaugh then interviewed Thrush.

Thrush admitted he was responsible for the “prank calls” to the three victims, and said he made the calls “as a joke” and was not threatening in any of the calls he made. Thrush also allegedly stated he was “drinking that night” and said he “just did something stupid,” according to the complaint.

The following charges were filed through Magisterial District Judge Gregory M Bazylak’s office on February 28:

– Corruption of Minors, Misdemeanor 1
– Harassment – Communication Repeatedly in Anonymous Manner, Misdemeanor 3
– Harassment – Course of Conduct With No Legitimate Purpose, Summary

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on April 9, with Judge Bazylak presiding.