BROOKVILLE BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – The details of an incident where a Brookville man allegedly stalked a woman have been released.
Court documents indicate 25-year-old Mason J. Bish was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Gregory M. Bazylak at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, January 10, on the following charges:
– Stalking – Repeatedly Commit Acts to Cause Fear, Misdemeanor 1
– Harassment – Communicate Repeatedly in Another Manner, Misdemeanor 3
– Disorderly Conduct Hazardous/Physical Offense, Misdemeanor 3
– Harassment – Follow in Public Place, Summary
Unable to post $5,000.00 monetary bail, he was lodged in the Jefferson County Jail.
He was released on January 11 on a surety posted by a professional bondsman.
The charges stem from an incident that took place on Monday morning in the Borough of Brookville, Jefferson County.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint, around 6:40 a.m. on January 10, Brookville Borough Police received a call from a known woman who reported that while she was on the phone with a known female victim who was at Penn Highlands Brookville Hospital, she overheard a verbal altercation between the victim and an individual she believed was Mason Bish.
Police initially responded to the emergency room parking lot but were unable to find either of the involved individuals. However, when they were checking the employee parking lot, they observed a man, later identified as Mason Bish, standing between two vehicles, with the victim sitting in one of the vehicles.
The complaint notes the victim’s vehicle was parked properly while the other vehicle, identified as Bish’s vehicle, was pulled in at an angle with the vehicle still running and the lights on – as if someone had exited the vehicle quickly. Police also observed the victim was visibly upset.
According to the complaint, the victim reported she was traveling to the hospital for work when she saw Bish at a red light on Main Street in Brookville. She indicated Bish then pulled up beside her into a left turning lane before speeding off onto White Street. The victim continued to the hospital, but then she noticed Bish’s vehicle parked on South Main Street. However, as she pulled into a parking spot at the hospital, she saw a vehicle approaching her and realized it was Bish.
The victim, who was on the phone with the known woman at the time, reportedly said she believed Bish had followed her.
The victim reported Bish then exited his vehicle and approached her window. She noted Bish was raising his voice; she indicated that she was frightened.
The complaint notes the victim told police Bish “has guns” and she “doesn’t know what he would do.” She also reported parking in a different lot than she normally does due to fear of Bish following her.
According to the complaint, the victim showed police a text message she sent Bish on January 7 where she told him to stop communicating with her or she would consider it harassment. The message showed it was “read” by the recipient.
Police then spoke to Bish, who reportedly denied receiving the message from the victim and said he thought the parking lot was “a good place” to speak to the victim since it had security cameras.
Bish’s behavior, following the victim to her place of work after receiving a message telling him to cease communication with her, showed a “course of conduct of unwanted contact” which caused the victim fear and emotional distress, according to the complaint.
Bish was subsequently taken into custody.
When questioned further about the incident, Bish told police he knew the situation “looked bad.” He also stated that although he never got the text message from the victim requesting him to leave her alone, he understood that what he did was wrong, the complaint states.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on February 3 with Judge Bazylak presiding.
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