A quiet Sunday morning on Sweetbriar Street turned violent when police arrived to find a man with blood on his hands and face, accused of swinging a knife at two people inside a Duquesne Heights home. Charles Ross now faces an aggravated assault charge after officers say he attempted to stab a female victim, who suffered minor cuts on both arms, while a second person present was not struck by the blade.
Police arrived at the 300 block of Sweetbriar Street at approximately 8:30 Sunday morning, according to WTAE. The outlet reports that Ross allegedly attempted to stab the woman inside the house, and that officers found him with blood visibly on his hands and face when they responded. The female victim was treated at the scene for her injuries, while the second person police say was targeted was not struck by the knife.
Officials believe Ross was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, per the same account. Because of that suspected impairment, he was taken to a hospital and medically cleared before being transported to Allegheny County Jail — a step that aligns with standard Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and county jail intake protocol requiring suspects showing signs of acute narcotics intoxication or physical injury to be cleared at a medical facility before booking, according to a 2023 Abolitionist Law Center report.
What the Assault Charge Could Mean
Ross was formally charged with aggravated assault following his arrest. Under Pennsylvania’s Crimes Code, that charge can carry very different stakes depending on how prosecutors ultimately grade it: an aggravated assault involving an attempt to cause serious bodily injury is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine, while a lower-tier version involving bodily injury with a deadly weapon is graded as a second-degree felony carrying up to 10 years, according to FindLaw. It remains unclear which grading Allegheny County prosecutors will pursue, and whether additional charges tied to controlled substances or simple assault could follow…