Feb 12, 2005 By Amy Karpinsky 3 min read

CALIFORNIA – A night of partying ended with a trip to the hospital with gunshot wounds for two 20-year-old college students following an incident at a house on Hickory Street that has been the site of two underage drinking enforcement actions in the past few months. Two California University of Pennsylvania students were taken to Brownsville General Hospital for gunshot wounds late Thursday and a third was arrested following the episode, police said.

The incident occurred at 633 Hickory St., which is also known as the Rugby House, because rugby players frequently inhabit it.

California Police Chief Stephen C. Silbaugh alleged at 11:19 p.m., in the midst of a large party taking place in the basement, Jeffrey Mitrik, 23, of West Mifflin was handling a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun when it discharged.

The bullet struck Mitrik in his pinky finger and also struck two 20-year-old females in the crowded basement. Allison Dzurnak of Uniontown was struck in the thigh and Angela Clark of Youngwood was struck in the ankle.

Silbaugh said both young women, who are university students who are staying on campus, were taken to Brownsville General Hospital and Dzurnak was later transferred to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment. A nursing supervisor on duty at the hospital Friday had no information about either woman. Mitrik refused treatment for his wound, said police.

According to police, the site of the incident has been the scene of at least two underage drinking enforcement actions by borough police in the past four months, resulting in more than 25 underage drinking arrests and four charges of furnishing alcohol to minors against the residents.

Silbaugh said borough police will continue to work with the university but they are not getting much cooperation.

However, additional arrests are anticipated.

Mitrik, who has a local address of 423 Wood St., was apprehended at about 2 a.m. and charged with two counts of aggravated assault and six counts of recklessly endangering another person.

The six counts relate to the six people who have spoken to the police and admitted to being at the party, including the two victims and four credible witnesses, according to police.

Although there were at least 40 people there, Silbaugh said, “everybody else at the party scattered” after the incident.

“His story was it is accidental, but we’re going with recklessly endangering another person,” Silbaugh said.

At the time of the incident, Silbaugh said Mitrik and another male, who has not been identified, were handling firearms.

Police recovered the gun that was involved in the shooting, which they said was owned by Mitrik.

Mitrik was arraigned before on-call Magisterial District Judge James Ellis in Peters Township and released on ROR bond.

A preliminary hearing will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17, before Magisterial District Judge William Pelkey in Centerville.

The California University of Pennsylvania Department of Public Safety and the East Bethlehem Township Police assisted police at the scene.