Man charged with getting juvenile to shoot at house
JEFFERSON TWP — A Connoquenessing Township man is accused of soliciting a teenage boy to fire a BB gun into a Neupert Road house occupied by four people, including two children,
The defendant, 19-year-old Austin J. Ayers, later posted on his Facebook page that he had “filled” the home’s windows with BBs. No one was injured in the early Friday morning incident.
Troopers on Saturday showed up at Ayers’ home on Prospect Road where they arrested him on felony and other charges. He is free on $50,000 bail.
A call early Friday morning for a reported projectile hitting the window sent investigators to the home of Heidi Sloan and Justin Castilyn, police said. Two young children were also there.
Police discovered a hole in the bedroom window caused by “a metal BB,” according to court documents.
Later that day, police said, Ayers posted a Facebook comment saying “he had filled the victims’ windows full of BBs.”
Troopers about 12:30 a.m. Saturday went to the defendant’s house where they found him wearing a holster for a Taser, police said. He admitted possessing the device, which is illegal in Pennsylvania, and turned it over to troopers.
Police said they also found a 17-year-old boy, who they did not identify.
The boy, documents said, admitted shooting at the house with a BB gun. He turned over the suspected gun used in the incident.
The teen said Ayers gave him the gun late Thursday night and told him “just do it,” according to a police affidavit, meaning to shoot the house.
District Judge Sue Haggerty arraigned Ayers on a felony charge of conspiracy to commit the crimes of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.
Additionally, he is charged with two misdemeanors — illegal possession of an electric or electronic incapacitation device and reckless endangerment.
Ayers could not be reached for comment. It was not known if he has an attorney.
It also was not known if the boy is facing juvenile charges in the case.