Jefferson Township man allegedly found naked in woman’s bed has charges dropped
A Jefferson Township man accused of threatening a Cranberry Township woman with a knife after she allegedly arrived home to find him naked in her bed had a charge withdrawn and will seek mental healthcare before his trial.
Cody J. Grupp, 33, had a felony burglary charge withdrawn and waived misdemeanor charges of simple assault and terroristic threats for court at a Friday, Oct. 2, preliminary hearing before District Judge Kevin Flaherty.
Grupp was accused of breaking into the woman’s home and waiting about two hours for her to return. Police said Grupp remained in the home for just over an hour and a half after she arrived and threatened her while holding a kitchen knife.
Flaherty reduced Grupp’s $50,000 bail to $25,000 unsecured bail so he may receive mental healthcare on VA Butler Healthcare’s campus.
A VA Butler Healthcare representative at the hearing said Grupp already receives care at the facility and recommended he moves to residential treatment.
“Alcohol is a huge underlying factor,” assistant district attorney David Beichner said concerning Grupp’s actions.
Grupp’s attorney, Joseph Keckskemethy, agreed. He said Grupp’s mental state was also affected by a recent divorce and he believes spending a week in jail helped stabilize his client’s mental state.
Grupp also violated a Protection From Abuse order by being in the home that day, which resulted in an additional $25,000 bail. He obtained an unsecured bond to cover the bail to enable him to attend mental health counseling.
Keckskemethy said Grupp had been invited to the woman’s residence on previous occasions.
Grupp’s parents attended the hearing and said their son was a different person before he met the woman. They said Grupp’s mental health was also affected by the death of his dog, which Grupp recently spent thousands of dollars on chemotherapy for.
The conditions of Grupp’s bail, include prohibitions on possession of drugs, alcohol or weapons. He must also be on pretrial supervision and electronic monitoring.
Grupp’s formal arraignment is scheduled for 1 p.m. Nov. 17 in Butler County Common Pleas Courtroom 2.
