A Franklin man is accused of striking a 17-year-old boy in the face Saturday at a residence on Pone Lane in Sandycreek Township.
Franklin state police said they arrived at the home and found the suspect, Samuel Mabugu, Jr., 36, held down by the 17-year-old boy who appeared to have a broken nose that was bleeding, the boy’s mother and the property owner.
Police said they dispersed the fight and took Mabugu into custody. He told police he had been riding an ATV “and all of a sudden this punk kid attacked” him.
When police later spoke to the boy, he said he saw Mabugu riding an ATV “and knew he was trespassing,” so the boy placed logs and branches on the trails.
The boy said Mabugu came back through the area on the ATV and began to yell about the debris on the trail, police said.
Police said the two became involved in a verbal altercation during which Mabugu told the boy, “don’t talk to me like that or I’ll … shoot you,” as well as other threats involving bodily injury.
The boy told police Mabugu then struck him in the face with a closed fist, causing him to fall to the ground where Mabugu continued the attack, police said.
Mabugu was charged with a felony count of strangulation – applying pressure to throat or neck and misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats, criminal trespass and simple assault.
He was arraigned later Saturday and released on bail Tuesday.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled June 3 in Venango County Central Court.
