Kiski Township man ordered to trial on multiple felony charges

A Kiski Township man accused of stealing an SUV to flee after assaulting a family member and then eluding capture by police who spotted him the next day has been order to stand trial on multiple felony charges.

James Francis Sabino, 37, of the 300 block of Riffler Road was charged Aug. 17 with felony counts of theft, receiving stolen property, fleeing and flight to avoid apprehension and four related charges.

Kiski police responding about 11 a.m. to a domestic dispute on Riffler Road wrote in a criminal complaint that one of Sabino’s family members was being treated for a head wound by EMTs when they arrived, according to a criminal complaint.

The man told police that he cut his head when Sabino pushed him to the ground during an argument.

The officer said Sabino was sitting in another family member’s SUV when he tried to arrest him, but Sabino sped off, the complaint said.

Sabino was driving 60 mph in a 35 mph zone and ran a stop sign while being chased along Riffler, School and Allshouse roads until the officer lost sight of the SUV.

About 6 p.m. the following day, Kiski officers who were searching for Sabino reached him by telephone and told him to surrender, but he told them, “You ain’t going to be able to get me,” according to a separate criminal complaint.

Police used a drone to spot Sabino laying in a field near his home with most of his clothing removed, according to investigators.

Sabino took off running into the woods when two officers approached him. One of the officers had to be taken to the hospital for evaluation after suffering a leg injury when he fell down a hill while chasing Sabino, who again was able to avoid arrest, the complaint said.

An officer chased Sabino again after seeing him walking along Edmon Road about 9:30 p.m., but he was able to escape into the woods.

About an hour later, Edmon Road residents called 911 to report seeing Sabino walking along the road before ducking behind one of the homes, the complaint said.

Officers searched the area but were unable to find Sabino and filed three felony counts of flight to avoid apprehension against him.

Sabino was taken into custody Aug. 24 and detained in the Armstrong County Jail in lieu of a $10,000 cash bond for the three felony charges filed in connection with the Aug. 18 incident.

A $75,000 cash bond was set for the assault and stolen vehicle charges.

Sabino was ordered to stand trial on all the charges during a Sept. 7 preliminary hearing before District Judge James Andring.