A Northampton County judge sentenced a Bath man to house arrest Thursday after he admitted his recent run-ins with the law were a result of him failing to stay on anti-depressants.
Daniel D. Bender, 19, pleaded guilty to spitting at and striking a Bethlehem police officer and no contest to pointing a gun at a 14-year-old girl's head and threatening to beat her brother with a baseball bat. His attorney, Susan Hutnik, explained Bender was not taking his medication for depression at the time of both incidents but has no other history with police.
Bender was originally charged in Nazareth with making terroristic threats, harassment and disorderly conduct a year ago. A mother of two teenagers told police Bender had brought a gun into her home, according to police.
When her daughter doubted it was real, Bender held it to her head and asked her if she still thought that, according to court records. Days earlier, he had threatened to break knees of the girl's 16-year-old brother, police said.
Bender was out on bail on those charges when his family called police July 30, Hutnik said. He was missing, and the family was afraid he was suicidal, she said.
Court documents show Bethlehem police located him in the 2300 block of Center Street with a bloody nose. As an officer approached him, he threatened to punch him in the face if he didn't stay back, court records say. As more officers arrived, he calmed down and told police he had punched himself in the nose because he was upset with his home life, according to court documents.
Bender eventually agreed to get medical treatment at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg. When he arrived at the hospital, he became uncooperative and started thrashing about, hitting officer Lawrence Meo, police said. Bender began spitting as well, and blood and saliva landed on Meo's face, according to authorities.
He pleaded guilty to harassment, simple assault and two counts of terroristic threats. Northampton County Judge Paula Roscioli sentenced him to one month of house arrest and 23 months of supervision. She also ordered him to write a letter of apology to Meo.
She warned him to stay on his medications, or he would end up in prison or a mental health institution. She told him to be honest with his parents, doctors and probation supervisors as they could help him get the treatment he needed.
"Don't wait to the point you're getting depressed again," she told him.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/nazareth/index.ssf/2012/01/bath_teen_says_he_threatened_f.html
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