Churchville man headed to trial in murder of ex, faces new charges
On Valentine’s Day, Jaden Battista, her ex-boyfriend Trevor Weigel and a 17-year-old friend of the couple went out together.
Two days later, Lower Makefield police say Weigel, 23, stabbed the 19-year-old Battista at least 13 times, then stabbed himself repeatedly in the neck while running from police.
At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, the Churchville man was held for trial in Bucks County Court on homicide, burglary and related charges. They included four new offenses: attempted kidnapping, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment and evading arrest.
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Three Lower Makefield police officers, a neighbor and the 17-year-old friend of Battista testified about what happened on Feb. 16, when Weigel showed up unannounced and broke into the Waterford Road home where Battista lived.
Weigel and Battista were involved in a romantic relationship that lasted two months, authorities confirmed. The couple had broken up two months before the murder, but remained in contact.
The 17-year-old friend of Battista said the pair were not dating when the murder happened.
The teenager testified she and Battista were exchanging text messages on the Friday afternoon when Battista wrote she thought someone was in the house. Battista lived with her grandmother, but she was home alone at the time.
A short time later, Battista was video-chatting with the teen and said that Weigel was outside. The teen said she could hear Weigel demanding to be let in, and promising he wouldn’t hurt her.
Battista then told the teen Weigel was entering the house through her bedroom window on the first floor.
Moments later, the teen said she heard Battista screaming at Weigel to get out of her house, she didn’t feel safe, and she was calling the police.
“She was yelling and crying. She was scared,” the teen said.
When it sounded like Battista’s voice was being muffled, the teen said she ended the call and dialed 911.
Phil Cantor, who lives across the street from Battista, testified he saw a man, identified as Weigel, attempt to force a woman, who was identified as Battista, into a red Mustang parked in front of the condo building.
“He got a little rough with her, that is when everything happened,” Cantor testified.
When the woman resisted, he saw the man hit her and she fell into the street. The man then jumped on top of the woman and appeared to be punching her repeatedly.
When a police car arrived, the man took off running, Cantor said.
Officer Robert Kennedy testified he responded to the scene for a report of a burglary in progress at the Battista home when he saw a woman run toward his patrol car before a male tackled her and started striking her.
Kennedy said he chased the man, who had a knife in his hand and saw him stab himself in the neck several times before throwing it down, Kennedy said. Police testified the bloody knife was later retrieved.
When Kennedy heard Battista cry out for help he stopped the chase and returned to her side. He testified she had multiple stab wounds to her chest and was bleeding profusely.
Lower Makefield Sgt. Brian Mulder testified that he chased Weigel, who was dressed in bloody black clothes, through the development, over a fence and onto I-295, where he subdued him with a stun gun.
After he was placed in handcuffs, Weigel admitted he did something wrong, Mulder added.
“I (expletive) up,” Weigel said, according to the officer.
Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County DA files new charges against Churchville murder suspect
