A family fight inside a Cranberry Township apartment ended with both parents in the hospital and their son in the Butler County Prison. Police say they were called Sunday to an apartment on the 5000 block of Pendleton Way after a confrontation between relatives turned violent, and bystanders stepped in to restrain the suspect until officers arrived. The man, identified as 35-year-old Derek Cowan, faces multiple assault counts, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 20.
Neighbors step in as family fight boils over
Residents who saw the attack reportedly intervened and held Cowan down while Cranberry Township officers responded to the scene. According to ButlerRadio, Cowan got into a fight with his parents and, at one point, knocked his mother to the ground. That account says two bystanders kept Cowan pinned until police took him into custody.
Parents treated at UPMC Passavant
Both of Cowan’s parents were taken to UPMC Passavant in Cranberry for treatment of injuries sustained in the incident. According to UPMC Passavant, the Cranberry campus is located at One Saint Francis Way in Cranberry Township. The confrontation was reported to have taken place in an apartment community on the 5000 block of Pendleton Way, an address associated with the Pendleton at Cranberry Woods, according to ApartmentHomeLiving.
Charges, bail and next steps
Prosecutors have charged Cowan with two counts of aggravated assault, three counts of simple assault and harassment, and bail was set at $125,000, according to ButlerRadio. He is being held at Butler County Prison pending the preliminary hearing on March 20, 2026.
