Uniontown man charged in jail assault
A Uniontown man who is jailed in multiple cases was charged Sunday with assaulting an inmate in the Fayette County Jail.
Tobias Alexander Mitchell, 35, is charged with assault by prisoner, aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person for an alleged attack on inmate William Anthony McLaughlin at about midnight.
McLaughlin, 55, is awaiting trial for allegedly robbing Somerset Trust Co. bank in Connellsville in March.
He reported to Uniontown police that he was showering early Sunday when he turned around to see Mitchell standing there. He said he “just started to punch him in the face,” according to court documents.
McLaughlin said he thinks he lost consciousness during the assault. Police said had a large knot on his head and a severely swollen nose. He reported his lower back and left knee were causing him pain. He was transported to Uniontown Hospital for treatment, court records indicate.
Mitchell has been charged multiple times in the last year. In February, he pleaded guilty to terroristic threats for holding a couple hostage in their home and forcing the man to make ATM withdrawals. He was sentenced to one year probation.
A jury found Mitchell not guilty of access device fraud, theft by deception and receiving stolen property in January from an incident in July in Uniontown.
He is awaiting trial on aggravated assault, burglary and related charges for allegedly assaulting Gerald Hall in a Nutt Avenue apartment March 30. Hall refused to sell a TV for Mitchell, who allegedly responded by breaking into his apartment with an unidentified man and beating him with a toaster.
During Mitchell’s preliminary hearing in the assault case April 18, he allegedly turned to a witness and said, “I’m coming for you.” He was charged with intimidating a witness following the alleged threat.