Delmont man accused of assaulting woman

A 39-year-old Delmont man was arrested Thursday on charges of assaulting a woman inside his home and obstructing officers attempting to investigate the incident, police said.

Ian T. Morelli was arraigned before District Judge Helen Kistler on charges of obstruction of law enforcement, simple assault, harassment, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia filed by borough police. He was ordered held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $25,000 bail.

Officer Dylan Keffer reported he was dispatched to Morelli’s home on Freeport Street after 911 dispatchers received a report of a hangup call just before 1 a.m. Thursday. Keffer said in court documents that when he arrived he saw a woman leaning out of a second floor window “yelling for help.”

Keffer said that he then saw a man come from behind the victim and pull her back inside the window. Morelli then leaned out the window and denied any wrongdoing.

When police questioned Morelli outside the house, Keffer said officers confiscated an orange straw that was hanging out of his pant’s pocket “and (Morelli) admitted to using it for snorting methamphetamine.”

The woman told police that he wouldn’t permit her to leave the house and began “throwing her around the room.”

When she attempted to call 911, she reported that Morelli took the phone out of her hand and hung up.

Keffer said the victim had numerous cuts and bruises on her arms and legs.

As police were questioning her, Keffer said Morelli ran back into the house and hid in a coal cellar, where he was placed under arrest.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Sept. 10 before Export District Judge Charles R. Conway.