Weapons found
State police on Friday said that a Smithfield man who participated in an armed standoff in Georges Township Wednesday evening had 55 guns and four suspected bombs stashed in his home and a nearby storage unit. Raymond Conway Baker III, 44, of 13 Rose Circle in Strickland Estates was charged Thursday with aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person and harassment before Magisterial District Judge Dwight Shaner following the standoff.
Police said Baker was taken into custody after being discharged from Highlands Hospital in Connellsville on Friday and placed in the Fayette County Prison on $150,000 bond.
Baker holed up in his mobile home Wednesday afternoon as dozens of state police troopers and emergency officials surrounded his home.
He eventually surrendered around 9 p.m., police said.
State police Trooper George Mrosko said Friday that investigators uncovered a cache of additional weapons Thursday night at Baker’s house and more weapons and four explosive devices in a storage unit rented by Baker on Route 166 near Masontown.
Mrosko said that the state police Hazardous Devices and Explosives Section transported the suspected bombs to Hershey, where officials will detonate them and determine their capability.
Investigators discovered 21 guns, including a fully automatic M-16 machine gun, in the home, Mrosko said.
Mrosko said an additional 34 weapons were found in the storage shed.
Mrosko said the large stockpile of weapons could result in more charges against Baker.
The standoff Wednesday evening began in the housing complex off Walnut Hill Road after an argument with his wife, Shelley Baker, around 4:50 p.m. according to police.
Mrosko said in the affidavit of probable cause that during the argument Baker struck his wife in the face and then retrieved a shotgun from his bedroom and pointed the weapon at Shelley Baker’s head and threatened he would shoot and kill her.
At that point, Shelley Baker and her two children fled the residence and contacted police.
Baker then barricaded himself in the mobile home, refusing to surrender to police for several hours, Mrosko said.
Baker was initially taken to Highlands Hospital where he voluntarily committed himself, Mrosko said in his report.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted the police in the investigation.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday before Magisterial District Judge Randy Abraham.