A North Huntingdon man was arraigned Thursday morning on police accusations that he threatened a Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County worker with a handgun.
Township police said the worker was turning off the water at Mykola Prut’s home Wednesday when Prut chased him with the weapon, according to court papers.
The incident was reported just before 9:3o a.m. Wednesday on Water Street in the village of Ardara. The municipal authority employee was found hiding in a nearby wooded area. Police said he fled nearly a mile through dense brush up a hill and swam across Brush Creek to escape, according to court papers.
Prut, 57, told investigators he went outside with the gun and, after the worker ran away, took the keys to the authority truck, according to court papers. Prut had received a notice from the authority about a month or so earlier about an issue with his service, police said.
After the employee fled, Prut told investigators he used a tool from the municipal authority truck to restore his water service. He is charged with aggravated assault, theft and related offenses. He is free on nonmonetary bail.
A preliminary hearing is set for May 1. Prut didn’t have an attorney listed in online court records.