A 19-year-old Pittsburgh woman is facing burglary and assault charges after Butler police say she fought with another woman while holding what witnesses believed was a knife, then ran off as the victim bled from her arm. Alyssa Assenat was charged Saturday with felony burglary along with misdemeanor counts tied to the alleged confrontation, according to court documents.
Assenat is facing the charges in Butler County, according to Butler Radio Network, which reported that she attempted to enter a home before the fight broke out. Per charging documents cited by the station, Assenat attempted to enter the home and was stopped. She then argued with the victim before the confrontation escalated, the outlet reported.
Conflicting Accounts of Where the Fight Happened
The two local outlets covering the case differ on exactly where the confrontation took place. Butler Radio Network reported the incident occurred on the 600 block of West Penn Street in the city of Butler, while the Butler Eagle identified the location as a residence on West New Castle Street, reporting that Assenat is accused of attacking two women and stabbing at least one of them there.
According to the Butler Eagle, police arriving at the scene found a large amount of blood, with one of the women holding a cloth to her left arm, specifically the inner elbow area. That woman told officers she saw Assenat fighting with the other woman in the doorway of the porch with what she believed to be a knife, the paper reported. The women eventually separated and Assenat ran off, police said, according to the same account.
Witness Describes Seeing the Fight Unfold
A person inside the home reportedly came outside with a knife and saw the victim and Assenat fighting, per Butler Radio Network's reporting on the case. Police said Assenat fled the scene after the altercation, and the victim was left bleeding from the left arm, according to police.
Assenat was charged with burglary, simple assault, and a loitering-related misdemeanor, though the two outlets describe that charge differently. The Butler Eagle reported it simply as loitering, while Butler Radio Network identified it as loitering and prowling at night. Under Pennsylvania law, maliciously loitering or prowling around an occupied dwelling at night is classified as a misdemeanor of the third degree.
No Hearing Date Set Yet
As of the most recent reporting, Assenat's preliminary hearing had not been scheduled. Neither outlet has reported further details on the extent of the victim's injuries or whether she received medical treatment, and no statements from Assenat, an attorney, or the alleged victims have been made public.
