A 34-year-old Reynoldsville woman is facing simple assault and harassment charges after state police say she struck a juvenile twice with an open hand during a dispute that began over cleaning his room, leaving the child with bruising and a red mark near his eye. Brandy Lynn Hassan admitted to the assault in a police complaint, according to investigators, after a caller reported an injured juvenile at 6:30 p.m. on September 17.
Pennsylvania State Police troopers from the DuBois barracks arrived at a nearby Grant Street location in Reynoldsville at 6:55 p.m. that evening, according to exploreJefferson. The incident itself is said to have occurred around 3 p.m. that day at a home on Grant Street Extension, with a caller reportedly having seen a photograph showing an eye injury on the juvenile before contacting authorities.
The juvenile told police the argument started as a verbal dispute over cleaning his room, and he told investigators that Hassan became angry after he turned on the bedroom light and asked her not to. The responding officer reportedly observed bruising and puffiness on the upper right side of the juvenile's eye, along with a red mark beneath it. The juvenile's eyeglasses were also damaged during the incident, which reportedly contributed to his physical injuries.
Charges Filed Under State Assault and Harassment Statutes
Hassan now faces a count of simple assault, graded as a second-degree misdemeanor, along with a summary harassment charge. Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 2701, Hassan's simple-assault charge is a second-degree misdemeanor, according to van der Veen, Hartshorn & Levin. The harassment count stems from 18 Pa.C.S. § 2709, which classifies physical harassment involving striking, shoving, or unwanted physical contact as a summary offense, per Penn State Behrend.
Bail Set as Preliminary Hearing Looms
Magisterial District Judge David B. Inzana set Hassan's bail at $5,000 unsecured on September 18.
Hassan's preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 19 at 10:30 a.m. That proceeding will serve as a threshold evidentiary step, where the judge determines whether prosecutors have presented sufficient probable cause to forward the misdemeanor charges to the Court of Common Pleas for trial, per the Courier Express. The allegations against Hassan remain unproven until adjudicated in court.
A Borough Grappling With Economic Strain
Reynoldsville Borough, where the incident occurred, has an estimated population of 2,431 residents and a median household income of $52,917, according to Census Reporter. Roughly 19.8% of borough residents live below the federal poverty line, compared to about 11.8% statewide, per estimates from Data USA.
