Ruffs Dale man jailed after troopers accuse him of firing shotgun at girlfriend, threatening his mother
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A Ruffs Dale man was ordered to the Westmoreland County prison without bond on attempted homicide and assault charges because state police allege he fired a shotgun toward his girlfriend early Sunday and later threatened his mother, according to state police.
David M. Hoffman, 21, was arraigned Monday on multiple criminal charges, including aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, reckless endangerment and simple assault in connection with the 2 a.m. Sunday incident that occurred in the driveway of Hoffman’s residence on the 800 block of Waltz Mill Road.
Trooper David Wineland reported Hoffman had gotten into a verbal argument with his girlfriend earlier at the American Legion in Arona and he went home without her about midnight. When the woman pulled into the driveway about 2 a.m. in a pickup, accompanied by a man, Wineland alleges Hoffman retrieved a shotgun, accused the woman of cheating and fired “5 to 10 shots” in the vicinity of the pair, causing the woman to run from the scene.
Police reports said the woman was not struck by the shots.
Wineland alleges in court documents Hoffman physically assaulted the man before fleeing in a pickup. About 4 a.m., police said in court documents, Hoffman drove to his mother’s residence in East Huntingdon demanding to know the whereabouts of his girlfriend.
“While confronting his mother, Hoffman described in an interview having a black metal baseball bat in his hand and tapping it on the truck window … telling her she better not lie,” Wineland wrote.
Wineland said Hoffman admitted to having a 12- and 10-gauge shotgun in the truck when he spoke with his mother.
Troopers reported Hoffman eventually surrendered to state police just after noon Sunday at the state police barracks in Greensburg, where he was taken into custody and interviewed.
District Judge Charles Moore denied bond for Hoffman, saying in court documents “no bond conditions or combination of bond conditions will ensure the safety of the victims.”
Hoffman did not have an attorney listed in court documents. Online court documents indicate he has no prior criminal record.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled March 24.