3 Men Arrested After Stray Bullets Hit Car With Children Inside
By Jenn Bernstein
GILBERTSVILLE, Pa. (CBS) - It was a scary moment for a mother and her three children on Tuesday. She was driving down Route 73 near New Hanover Township when police say a bullet hit her car, "narrowly missing passengers."
Police went to a home on the 3300 block of New Hanover Square Road in Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania and found a group, which police say included three adults and three juveniles, target shooting in the backyard.
51-year-old David Beamer, 18-year-old Michael Glazewski and 18-year-old Christopher Malinowski are facing various charges including a felony charge of risking catastrophe.
Beamer is also facing a felony charge of aggravated assault.
Police seized numerous weapons including an AK-47 assault rifle, an AR-15 assault rifle, a .30 caliber high-powered rifle, shotguns and several handguns.
Beamer, Malinowski and Glazewski posted bail after their arraignment at the Montgomery County District Court in Limerick. The men say they are sorry and would never shoot towards the road.
"This is an accident," said Malinowski, "it's not on purpose or anything."
He says they've target practiced there for years, and that the guns were all registered and legal. The target stands in front of dozens upon dozens of acres- all empty land.
The woman's car was hit in the parallel direction from where the group was shooting.
"I'm guessing what happened is the bullet ricocheted and went towards 73 and hit a car. I mean we'd never do that intentionally or purposefully," said Malinowski.
Kirstel Parrish lives next door. She says a group is often out shooting, and calls it an unfortunate, freak accident.
"They always seem to be very responsible," said Parrish, "there's never been an issue."
But there were other neighbors, who wanted to remain anonymous, that were concerned.
They say there are houses that line Route 73, and there's an elementary school close by. "There's always a chance that somebody's out there in the field either riding a quad, or a go-kart, or farming, so yeah it's a concern," said one of the neighbors.
