BROCKWAY BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – A Mercersburg man is facing a hearing next week on burglary, criminal trespass, and other charges related to a bizarre break-in in Brockway Borough.
Court documents indicate a hearing for 40-year-old Joshua Eugene Toporzycki, of Mercersburg, Pa., that was continued on Wednesday, September 25, is set to resume at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 24.
Toporzycki faces the following charges:
– Burglary – Overnight Accommodations; Person Present, Felony 1
– Criminal Trespass-Enter Structure, Felony 3
– Flight To Avoid Apprehension/Trial/Punishment, Misdemeanor 2
– Resist Arrest/Other Law Enforcement, Misdemeanor 2
– Disorderly Conduct Hazardous/Physical Offense, Misdemeanor 3
– Public Drunkenness And Similar Misconduct, Summary
The charges stem from an incident that occurred in Brockway Borough on Tuesday, August 6.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint, around 11:47 a.m. on August 6, Chief Terry Young, of the Brockway Borough Police Department, was dispatched to a residence on Broad Street for a strange man in a known woman’s apartment.
Chief Young and Deputy Ellenberger responded to the scene.
According to the complaint, the female victim reported she was coming from behind her residence and when she got to the front, she saw an unknown male had her door open and started to walk inside. The victim then got the male’s attention and confronted him.
The victim told police the man was acting nervous and called her by her first name and said he was thirsty before letting himself inside. She noted he kept asking for food and a drink, so she gave him a small container of tea to drink. The victim reported the man then asked to go to her bed and sleep, and she told him no, then asked him where he was staying. She said he pointed to the building next to her residence.
The complaint notes that the victim said every time her phone rang, the man became agitated and asked her not to answer it. She admitted that since he was acting so nervous, she gave him four of her Klonopin, although she knew it was wrong to do so, in hopes of calming him down.
The victim described the man as bald, possibly in his 30s, shirtless with tattoos on both shoulders, wearing blue jeans and carrying a blue shirt. She stated that about 15 minutes later, he left her residence and headed toward 5th Avenue, but said she did not see where he went after he went around the corner of her building.
Chief Young and Deputy Ellenberger then left the scene to begin looking for the man. A short time later, Deputy Ellenberger found a witness who reported seeing the man walking through someone’s back yard off of Arch Street.
The officers then spoke to a property owner on Arch Street who reported seeing a male walking along the creek. The officers then proceeded to the creek where Deputy Ellenberger made contact with an unknown male.
The complaint notes that the unknown male ran from the officers. Chief Young then stayed near the creek while Deputy Ellenberger went in the direction the man ran. The officers then worked to search the area until Deputy Ellenberger found the man again.
According to the complaint, the man was found in Curry Creek and at first refused to get out of the water, stating, “I’m allowed to be here can’t I have fun in the water.”
Warden Hartless of the Pennsylvania Game Commission then also arrived at the scene.
Chief Young then leaned over enough to grab the man by the right arm and take him down on the embankment. Warden Hartless assisted in placing the man in custody.
The complaint notes that at the time of his arrest, the man, who was bald and had tattoos on both shoulders, was wearing shorts with no shirt and only one shoe. He was then escorted to Maple Street and placed inside Warden Hartless’ vehicle.
According to the complaint, the male was having a hard time staying awake and stated he had taken four Klonopin.
The man, who was identified as Joshua Eugene Toporzycki, was found to have active arrest warrants from Franklin County. He was transported to Penn Highland DuBois Emergency Room for evaluation. The complaint notes while the EMT’s were speaking with him, Toporzycki seemed to believe he was in Sheffield or possibly Ridgway.
According to the complaint, when Toporzycki was advised why he was being arrested, he seemed to believe he was being blamed for a burglary in Sheffield. Then, when Chief Young told Toporzycki he was not in Sheffield, but in Brockway, Toporzycki immediately stated, “she allowed me in.”
Following his evaluation at Penn Highlands DuBois, Toporzycki was lodged in the Jefferson County Jail.
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