Crime & fire.
A Barto man is accused by state police of punching and holding a knife to the face of a front desk employee of a Milford Township hotel and later causing $2,000 in damage to the door of a police car by headbutting it.
Travis J. Mininger, 42, was charged March 6 by Pennsylvania troopers out of Dublin with aggravated assault and misdemeanor charges of simple assault, resisting arrest, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct, terroristic threats, possession of a weapon, and institutional vandalism of a police car for his alleged role in the incident at the John Fries Highway hotel.
Mininger is also charged with lesser offenses of harassment and criminal trespassing, according to court records.
At 5:51 a.m. March 6, troopers were dispatched to an active fight between two men at a hotel, with one man holding a knife to the other party, police said. Upon arrival, police found the defendant handcuffed behind his back and sitting on a bench in a highly agitated state, police said.
There was blood on the floor, bench, and table of the hotel front lobby, a knife on the table in the lobby, and the victim was being evaluated by EMS, police said. The lobby had numerous tables and decorations overturned, police said.
Another trooper said that Mininger threatened to kill them and began resisting arrest when attempting to take him into custody, police said.
Surveillance video showed Mininger allegedly enter the front lobby and walk to the front desk to speak with the victim, according to the complaint. After a brief interaction, Mininger allegedly throws several items at the victim’s face, hits him in the face, and throws him onto the ground.
Mininger then allegedly pulls out a knife and holds it to the victim’s face. The first responding trooper then arrives on scene and attempts to take Mininger into custody, with him resisting, police allege.
The victim told police that Mininger came into the front lobby and asked to rent a room, police said in the affidavit. When asked to show ID, Mininger handed over a medical marijuana card, police said.
The victim told Mininger they need a true form of ID, and he became agitated and allegedly threatened to kill the clerk. Mininger was told to leave the building, and he then allegedly threw items into the victim’s face and repeatedly striking him with closed fists in the face.
Mininger then threw the victim to the ground and put a knife an inch away from his face and threatened to kill him, police allege.
While being taken to state police barracks, Mininger allegedly used his head to bash the window of the patrol car, so much so that it bent the bar the guides the window, preventing it from moving. The value of the window is $2,000, police said.
Mininger remains at Bucks County jail on 10% of $250,000 cash bail, per court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 6 at 12:30 p.m. before Magisterial District Judge Lisa J. Gaier.
