A Port Matilda man was sentenced to at least three months in prison Thursday, stemming from a December altercation in which police said he held a knife to a student's throat in the HUB-Robeson Center.
Joshua R. Dreibelbis, 114 Smith Road, Port Matilda, pleaded guilty to two counts of simple assault and three counts of terroristic threats in April, according to court documents. Centre County Judge Pamela Ruest sentenced the 18-year-old to 3 months to 23 ½ months in the Centre County Correctional Facility, in addition to one year probation, Centre County District Attorney Michael Madeira said.
"This could have been disastrous," defense attorney Joseph Amendola said. "But he's doing well and is going to be fine. He's never been in trouble before and I don't anticipate it in the future."
On Dec. 8 Dreibelbis grabbed a student by the hair and placed a knife on his throat, saying "I told you not to f--- with me N----r," according to court documents. This incident came after Dreibelbis and the man police say he attacked got into a verbal altercation about a mutual female friend, police said.
Later that day, Dreibelbis grabbed another man in the HUB-Robeson Center, threatening him with his knife and eventually cutting the man's hair with the weapon, according to court documents.
The prosecution asked the judge to sentence Dreibelbis to a minimum of 11 ½ months in prison, Madeira said. But, Amendola said, the judge understood that Dreibelbis "never intended to hurt anybody."
The defense was seeking in-home detention rather than incarceration, citing the fact Dreibelbis has since enrolled in counseling and treatment for his anger issues, Amendola said.
Police originally charged Dreibelbis with felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor simple assault, misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person, misdemeanor terroristic threats, misdemeanor ethnic intimidation, misdemeanor harassment, summary harassment and stalking, and summary harassment in total from both cases.
Madeira could not comment further on the case because Assistant District Attorney Nathan Boob prosecuted Dreibelbis. Boob could not be reached for comment.
"He's a fine young man," Amendola said of his client. "This was a mistake of judgment and fortunately no one got hurt."
