A Penn Township man accused of seriously injuring a neighbor was granted a $250,000 bond Wednesday.
Jake G. Stepansky, 29, had been in custody without bond since his arrest last month on charges of aggravated assault, strangulation and reckless endangerment. During a hearing Wednesday, Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani ruled that Stepansky could be released pending trial if he posts the six-figure cash amount.
The charges follow a driveway confrontation with neighbor Joseph Hixson. Police said Stepansky was unprovoked when he placed Hixson in a chokehold and dropped him to the ground. Hixson suffered skull fractures, a stroke and a brain bleed.
“It was touch and go, and they weren’t sure he would survive,” said Assistant District Attorney Jackie Knupp.
Defense lawyer Owen Seman characterized the incident as an accident and “horseplay,” describing it as a wrestling match between neighbors who had been involved in a long-running prank war.
Feliciani previously rejected a request to release Stepansky on a nominal bond, waiting instead for the completion of mental health and drug and alcohol evaluations.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Seman argued Stepansky poses no threat to the community. If Stepansky is able to post bond, he said, he will not return to his family’s home in Penn Township and will instead participate in recommended mental health and addiction treatment.
The judge ruled that the severity of the allegations did not warrant a nominal bond. If Stepansky is released, he will be required to remain on house arrest.
No trial date has been set.