Arrests.
The incident occurred at the Rosewood Court East Apartments on the county border.
A Warminster man has been accused of assaulting and threatening to kill a person while holding a 13-inch kitchen knife to their neck in a Warminster Township incident.
Ryan Evans Burns, 29, of the Rosewood Court East Apartments on the 300 block of East County Line Road, on border with Horsham Township, Montgomery County, was charged Dec. 20 by police with felony counts of aggravated assault with serious bodily injury and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, as well as two misdemeanor simple assault charges and misdemeanor terroristic threats, unlawful restraint, and possessing an instrument of crime, police said.
On Dec. 20, at 1:18 a.m., authorities responded to the apartments for a well-being check, as a neighbor reported loud noises, banging, and a man yelling from another apartment, police said.
Upon arrival, police were met at the entrance of the apartment building by Burns, who admitted to living in an apartment in the building with another individual, per the complaint. Police went and spoke to the victim, who told them Burns was freaking out and threatening them, police said.
The victim told police that Burns was found in the bathroom writing “sick things” on the wall with permanent marker and talking and singing to himself, police allege. Some of the things Burns allegedly wrote included, “Loathe you” and “See you in hell.”
Burns then allegedly grabbed a kitchen knife from the drawer and told the victim that he wanted to kill them and then kill himself.
The victim said Burns held the knife to their neck and threatened that if they called for help, he would kill them, police allege in the complaint. Police said the victim could not call for help. After Burns allegedly held the knife to the victim’s neck, he allowed them to go back to their bedroom and go to sleep.
Burns then slammed the bedroom door shut in the victim’s face, police said. The victim had redness to both sides of their neck, but no visible injuries, police said.
After speaking with the victim, police went outside where another officer was speaking with Burns.
Officers were told that Burns had the knife in his waistband, per the complaint. He was handcuffed and police recovered the knife from his waistband, police said.
Burns told authorities he was told he needed to leave the apartment, but could not pack his belongings in front of the victim. “I don’t like (them) looking at me anymore,” he allegedly said. “I started f------ packing and then I’m writing hateful notes on the walls.”
When asked what happened with the knife incident, Burns allegedly said, “I don’t know who’s going to come for me … I can’t tell you who else is involved because it’s going to get both of us killed. Y’all not going to be able to protect us, you’ll just be serving both of our dead bodies.”
Burns denied holding a knife to the victim’s neck, but admitted to grabbing a knife for protection, police said. He allegedly told police he needed the knife for protection from the victim and “whoever else was going to come through.”
The victim confirmed the recovered knife was the same one used in the alleged assault. They also said Burns discarded a butcher knife in the Dumpster outside, police said. A 13-inch butcher knife was later found in the Dumpster, and Burns said he threw it in there, per the affidavit.
As of Friday, Burns remains at Bucks County jail in lieu of 10% of $150,000 cash bail, per court records. A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. before Magisterial District Judge Christopher E. O’Neill.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
