Bloomfield witnesses fail to cooperate

Eric Kieta, Contributing Writer

After more than a month of investigating, no charges have been filed in a shooting half a mile from the Pitt-Johnstown campus.

David Consiglio, 22, of the Hollidaysburg area was shot in the abdomen  Dec. 9 in what Richland Township police said was an attempted robbery.

Lehman said Consiglio had recovered from his wound.

“We know that drug-dealing was going on in the apartment,” said Richland Township Police Department Kevin Lehman. “We have very few serious crimes where the victim isn’t related to the suspect.”

No suspects have been named in the investigation, in part because of lack of cooperation by witnesses, said Lehman.

“We have a several problems. One is the abundance of UPJ students who live there, who have details, who won’t tell us anything about it.

“There were a lot of people around, knowing that we are (investigating). They aren’t doing their part as good citizens.

“We are still trying to round up witnesses and are still open to hear from anyone who knows anything about it come forward.”

The shooting will be investigated until an arrest is made, said Lehman.

On Dec. 11, two days after the shooting, an attempted robbery took pace on the Pitt-Johnstown campus in parking lot near the Whalley Memorial Chapel.

Police said the would-be robber had a knife and described him as approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds. He was wearing a black hoodie, orange teenis shoes and was missing several front teeth, police said.

No charges have been filed in the attempted robber. Pitt-Johnstown campus police are still investigating.

“We are still trying to work with the victim to bring things out,” said Campus Police Sgt. Dan Dunn, “(I) can’t say for sure what the outcome is. We are still asking for people to come forward.”

Dunn said the two incidents have not been unusual for crime on campus.

“I think there has been more noteworthy things going on, but not more frequently (than usual).”

The two crimes are not believed to be linked, said Lehman.

UPJ President Jem Spectar mentioned the two incidents in remarks Wednesday to faculty senate members.

“By and large, we know this is a safe campus. Once in a while, we have one or two incidents that are cause for concern.

“We will do everything we need to do to insure safety.”

The two incidents occurred just three months after Kevin McGee, 45, of Johnstown, opened fire on a Richland Township police cruiser before being shot by police.

Less than a month after the attempted robberies, Robert Williams Jr., 38, of Richland Township, was shot dead in his Lydia Street home. Williams’ homicide was the first in the township in more than 20 years.

Though these incidents occurred within a four-month period, township police say that citizens and Pitt-Johnstown students are in no significant danger.

“Chief Michael Burgan knows this isn’t normal,” said Lehman. “It goes in trends. We are arresting a lot of people, and this will subside, too.”

Pitt-Johnstown campus police are making changes to ensure the safety of the students, said campus police Chief Eric Zangaglia.

Among those changes are increased patrol, increased communication with other police departments and requests for more lighting and security cameras around campus.

Campus police are trained annually with firearms and twice a year cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and first aid.

Zangaglia said they are hoping to offer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation to student body, starting later this semester.