Suspect wounded; another held in jail
One Fayette County man is behind bars and another is in a Pittsburgh hospital recovering from a shotgun wound to the head, when the man they allegedly tried to rob reportedly fought back Monday morning. State police charged Sean Henry Garland, 20, of Ruffsdale and Nathan Scott Smith, 18, of Scottdale with aggravated assault, robbery and simple assault after they allegedly tried to rob Stanley Tabaj, 74, at his business, Toby Recycling, in Dunbar Township.
Trooper Russell D. Freed alleged in an affidavit of probable cause that the men were waiting at the business on Elm Grove Road and burst in, demanding money as Tabaj was finishing his breakfast.
Freed said that Garland and Smith repeatedly beat Tabaj with aluminum baseball bats, and one of them used a stun gun on him around 8:30 a.m.
While Tabaj had injuries to his hand, arms and chest, police said he was able to retrieve a shotgun and fired one shot, which hit Smith in the back of the head.
Smith and Garland fled in a car, and police said Garland dropped Smith off at a home in Dawson. A woman at the home called for an ambulance and police also responded.
Freed said Smith tried to tell police that he got shot on a bike trail. Authorities were able to identify Garland as the other alleged would-be robber and arrested him.
He allegedly confessed to taking part in the crime when police interviewed him.
District Attorney Jack R. Heneks Jr. said Monday evening that police are going to continue to fully investigate the shooting to determine if Tabaj will face criminal charges.
“I’m going to meet with the state police, and go over what their investigation shows before we make a determination,” Heneks said. “We want to take a look at everything from the scene before we decide.”
Garland was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Mike Defino Jr. and placed in Fayette County Prison on $75,000 straight bond. Smith remains in UPMC-Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh and will be arraigned when he is released, police said.