A Tarentum man faces felony child endangerment and other charges after police accused him of leaving two loaded guns within reach of his 5-year-old son after threatening to shoot his landlord during a dispute.

Anthony Ponzetti, 33, of the 300 block of Seventh Avenue, was charged with a felony count of endangering the welfare of a child along with three counts of reckless endangerment and a count each of making terroristic threats and simple assault in connection with the incident April 27.

He was released from custody on a nonmonetary bond and faces a preliminary hearing on the charges before District Judge Carolyn Bengel on May 18, according to court records.

Ponzetti was arrested when police were dispatched to his apartment building shortly after 6:30 p.m. for a report of a person being threatened with a gun, according to a criminal complaint.

The building’s landlord and a witness said Ponzetti came into a gym located in the building to complain about the electric service being shut off in the apartments, the complaint said.

Police said the landlord told them he went to the apartment to check whether the breaker in the service panel was tripped and was met at the door by Ponzetti, who screamed at him to turn the power back on.

He said Ponzetti then retreated to another room and emerged with what appeared to be an assault-style rifle outfitted with a scope and loaded with an ammunition clip, according to the complaint.

Ponzetti is accused of pointing the rifle at the man and saying, “I have something for you,” the complaint said.

Police said Ponzetti admitted to having the gun with him when the landlord came to his apartment but denied pointing it at the man or threatening him.

He said he had the gun with him because the landlord previously threatened to “shoot him, his cats and his dog,” the complaint said.

Investigators said Ponzetti refused to come out of the apartment to speak with officers until his girlfriend returned home because his 5-year-old son was inside.

He also refused to allow police inside the apartment to retrieve the weapon, which he told them was on his bed, the complaint said.

When the woman arrived, police entered the home and found an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 .556/.223 rifle on top of a storage container that was on the bed, according to the complaint.

Police said the rifle’s magazine was loaded with 29 rounds of ammo along with one in the chamber. The gun’s safety was off and it was set to fire, they said.

A Springfield XDS 9 mm semiautomatic pistol loaded with eight rounds, plus one in the chamber, also was found in the bedroom, police said.

Both firearms were less than 5 feet from where the 5-year-old boy was in the room, police said.

Authorities said the landlord and a witness provided them with written statements about the incident.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)