Man arrested for fighting in Frackville is illegal immigrant

BY STEPHEN J. PYTAK (STAFF WRITER)
Published: January 31, 2011


FRACKVILLE - A West Mahanoy Township man charged with trying to stab a borough man in the stomach with a box cutter Friday is an illegal immigrant from Honduras, borough police Cpl. Christopher Hand said Sunday night.

"He couldn't speak a drop of English and he didn't have a green card or anything like that," Hand said.

Oscar Roberto Flores-Laines, 24, of 131 S. Wylam St., was charged with two counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault and one count each of possession of prohibited offensive weapons, reckless endangerment and harassment, police said. On-duty Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, set bail at $55,000 straight cash, police said.

On the advice of Schuylkill County District Attorney James P. Goodman, Hand said Flores-Laines will be tried for his crimes in Schuylkill County and serve out his sentence before he is turned over to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

According to Hand, Flores-Laines was allegedly making unwelcome advances toward a woman at Roman's Lounge, 101 S. Broad Mountain Ave., just after 10 p.m. Friday.

The woman's boyfriend, Duane Bainbridge, 37, of Frackville, asked Flores-Laines to stop. Flores-Laines pulled out a box cutter with a four-inch-long handle and a three-inch blade and attacked Bainbridge, Hand said.

"Mr. Bainbridge backed up, so he wouldn't get cut. The guy came at him again and Mr. Bainbridge popped him twice in the face," Hand said.

Restaurant employees called police at 10:19 p.m. Police from Frackville borough, Butler Township, West Mahanoy Township and Ashland borough as well as Shenandoah EMS assisted on scene, police said.

Flores-Laines suffered slight injuries and was taken to Saint Catherine Medical Center Fountain Springs, where he received five stitches on his right ear, Hand said.

From there, borough police took Flores-Laines for an identification check at the state police at Frackville station. An interpreter, Cheryl Pastucka, Frackville, was brought in to assist, Hand said.

Police escorted Flores-Laines to the borough police station, where the charges were processed. Flores-Laines was then taken to Schuylkill County Prison, where he received a video arraignment with Plachko, Hand said.

Bainbridge was not charged.

"It was self-defense," Hand said.

A preliminary hearing for Flores-Laines will be scheduled at the office of Senior Magisterial District Judge Elizabeth Romig, Frackville, Hand said.

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