Man faces charges in burglary, assault

By Marissa Dechant – Staff writer

A Franklin man is facing multiple felony charges after he and another man allegedly broke into a residence armed with a knife and handgun and assaulted two people Friday in Cranberry Township.

A criminal complaint filed through District Judge Andrew Fish’s office said that around 4:45 a.m., Franklin state police received a call from a man saying that two men entered his residence at the Orchard Park Trailer Court and assaulted him and a woman.

Both the man and woman said Devin Stephens, 20, had a handgun, and an accomplice had a knife, the complaint said.

The men entered the unlocked residence with shirts pulled over their heads, the complaint said.

Stephens began beating the woman with the handgun, while the accomplice came toward the man with a knife, the complaint said.

The man and woman fought both men, who then dropped their weapons, the complaint said.

The man pushed the accomplice out the door and picked up both weapons, according to the complaint.

Stephens ran out of the residence and fled, the complaint said.

The accomplice remained behind and tried to get the handgun away from the man, the complaint said.

The man pulled the shirt off the accomplice’s head and threw both weapons toward the yard, according to the complaint.

The woman came outside to help block the accomplice from the handgun, the complaint said. She took possession of the gun, and the man told the accomplice to leave, which he did, according to the complaint.

The man and woman took both weapons back inside the house, where they also found a red Boston Red Sox cap and a black cellphone on the floor, the complaint said.

A photo of Stephens was on the cellphone screensaver, and both the man and woman identified him as one of the suspects, according to the complaint.

The man also said his neighbor showed him a photo of the accomplice on Facebook and positively identified him, the complaint said.

Stephens is facing a felony count of burglary-overnight accommodations-person present-bodily injury crime, four felony counts of aggravated assault, four misdemeanor counts of simple assault and two counts of recklessly endangering another person.

He was arraigned before Fish and placed in the Venango County jail. Bail was denied due to the felony charges and Stephens’ threat to society.

Charges had not been filed against Stephens’ alleged accomplice as of Friday afternoon.