Police: Man arrested following stabbing
Mar. 3—A homeless man is jailed on $100,000 cash bail, charged with aggravated assault after city police said he stabbed a 72-year old man in the back because he was "told to do it."
Joesph Hornberger, 50, who has been staying around Shamokin, was arraigned in front of Shamokin District Judge John Gembic Tuesday morning and sent to Northumberland County Jail.
Police said they received a call at 1:15 p.m. Monday regarding a stabbing in the 200 block of South Shamokin Street.
According to court documents, Hornberger first denied he was involved in the attack, but later told officers he didn't know the victim, Larry Pensyl, and the stabbing was random because he was "told to do it."
Police said Hornberger said he couldn't tell police who told him to stab the victim because they would kill him.
Officers asked Hornberger why he chose the victim and Hornberger said he followed Pensyl and a man "nodded his head telling me it was him, so I stabbed him," according to court documents.
Officer Ray Siko asked Hornberger again what man told him to commit the crime, to which Hornberger responded, "they are going to kill me if I tell you," according to court documents.
Hornberger eventually told officers where the clothes he wore were stored and that he threw the knife in the woods because he didn't want to get caught," according to court documents.
Shamokin police are still investigating the incident, Chief Darv Tobias said.
Hornberger now faces two felony counts of aggravated assault and misdemeanor charges of possessing an instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person, and tampering with evidence.
Tobias said once officers arrived on the scene they began to render aid to Pensyl while other officers began to search for a man fitting the description of a suspect.
Pensyl told officers he was walking on Pine Street when an individual came up from behind him and stabbed him, Tobias said.
Pensyl began to chase the man, later determined to be Hornberger, but because of the injury gave up the chase and fell to the ground on South Shamokin Street.
Within an hour, Hornberger was in custody, Tobias said.
Pensyl was transported to Geisinger Medical Center, in Danville, where he was treated for his injuries.
