Trial ordered for man accused by Kiski Township police of having illegal pistol among weapons found in car
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A man who isn’t old enough to have a handgun has been ordered to stand trial on felony charges because, authorities say, Kiski Township police officers found a pistol with a rubbed-out serial number, a rifle and a crossbow when they searched his car.
District Judge James Andring ordered Lucas Vanwhy, 20, of the 1000 block of Pine Run Road in Washington Township, to stand trial on felony charges of being incompetent to own a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license and possession of a firearm with an altered serial number. He also faces a count of possession of a firearm by a minor, a misdemeanor.
Vanwhy was arrested Aug. 17 and detained in Armstrong County Jail in lieu of a $25,000 cash bond, according to court records.
He was released after an Aug. 24 preliminary hearing during which bail was changed to an unsecured bond, court records show.
The incident leading to Vanwhy’s arrest began with an Aug. 11 call to Washington Township police, who responded to a verbal argument at a home between Vanwhy and a family member, according to a criminal complaint.
Vanwhy fled the home before police arrived, but family members directed them to a home of another family member in Kiski Township where they believed he was headed, the complaint said.
The family members told police Vanwhy had the handgun, rifle and crossbow with him.
Three Kiski Township officers responded to the home in the 1000 block of Edmon Road. While police were speaking to the homeowner, Vanwhy ran from a side door into the woods, the complaint said.
Police said they were able to coax Vanwhy out of the woods and calm him down. They said he was handcuffed until they were sure he did not have a weapon on him, the complaint said.
Vanwhy allowed officers to search his vehicle, where they found the crossbow and a .22-caliber rifle in the trunk, authorities said. They also smelled a strong odor of marijuana when they opened the vehicle, the complaint said.
Police said Vanwhy became “extremely upset and angry” when officers asked about the handgun, telling them he knew nothing about it, the complaint said.
He repeatedly told police to get a warrant if they wanted to continue searching the car, according to the complaint.
After an officer told Vanwhy police were going to impound the car and get a warrant to search it, he began crying and said, “OK, OK, there’s a stolen gun in the car,” according to the complaint.
A family member gave police a written statement saying they saw a pistol in Vanwhy’s car they believed he kept concealed under the front seat.
Officers found a .25-caliber pistol on the front passenger seat along with a marijuana grinder and a smoking pipe in the center console, the complaint said.