Hearing continued in Cal U bar shooting case
A preliminary hearing was continued Friday for a 22-year-old California University of Pennsylvania student accused of shooting another student during a dispute at a bar in California on May 5. Vikram Yamba of Turtle Creek, Allegheny County, was charged in May before Magisterial District Judge Jay Dutton in Claysville with criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and several firearms violations, California police said.
According to police Chief Rick Encapera, Marc Morris, 22, of Elizabeth suffered a gunshot wound to his leg.
Encapera said the incident occurred at McMonagle’s Bar on Union Street at 2 a.m. when Yamba and Morris, a junior at the university, started to fight. During the altercation, Encapera alleged Yamba pulled a handgun from his pants and shot Morris in the leg.
Yamba was initially placed in the Washington County Jail on $25,000 straight cash bond. After Yamba posted bail, federal officials issued a warrant for his arrest, alleging he violated a prior bond agreement with the federal court.
U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond subsequently sentenced him to two years in federal prison for violating the terms of his probation and an additional 18 months for a prior sentence for wire fraud.
In that case, federal court records indicate that police found Yamba with more than 70 credit card numbers he was using without authorization to make purchases of furniture and other goods from a retail outlet in 2004.
A preliminary hearing on the charges stemming from the shooting in May will be held in August before Magisterial District Judge William Pelkey.