Father of teen suspect in alleged Westmont Hilltop shooting plot charged with evidence tampering

Patrick Buchnowski, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

Mar. 11—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — The father of a teenager accused of planning a shooting at Westmont Hilltop Junior-Senior High School in December has been charged criminally, authorities said.

Upper Yoder Township police charged Philson D. Hinebaugh, 41, of the 100 block of Forest Edge Drive, with tampering with evidence. He is the father of 16-year-old Preston Hinebaugh, who was charged along with Logan Pringle, 17, with conspiracy to commit terrorism.

Officers said Philson Hinebaugh gave to police an AR-22 style rifle he said was in his son's bedroom.

"He provided us a firearm that was not the firearm in his son's bedroom," Upper Yoder assistant police Chief John Blake said.

"He gave us the wrong gun," Blake said. "It set back the initial investigation at least 24 hours."

Police allegedly seized four AR-15 platform "ghost guns." Ghost guns are not from a manufacturer, but can be put together by someone at home.

Somerset attorney Matt Zatko, who is representing Preston Hinebaugh, said the charge filed against the senior Hinebaugh came as a surprise.

"I was literally informed about Mr. Hinebaugh's charge from a Tribune-Democrat report on their website after being advised by a fellow attorney of the story," Zatko said on Friday. "I would have expected the courtesy of notification of the charge being filed. Unfortunately, that did not happen."

Zatko said he will help Philson Hinebaugh obtain legal counsel.

Philson Hinebaugh had not yet been arraigned as of Friday afternoon.

Pringle and Preston Hinebaugh are accused of walking through the school in December to examine surveillance cameras and entryways after Pringle made statements years earlier about shooting up his former school.

Pringle was expelled from the district in 2018 and ordered not to returned to the property after he allegedly made threats and lit a carpet on fire with a match.

Police were contacted after he was spotted on camera at the school, and searches at Hinebaugh's residence yielded numerous rifles, investigators said.

Pringle and Preston Hinebaugh are awaiting trial. Both teens have denied the allegations.