OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) — An Oil City man is facing attempted criminal homicide and related charges stemming from an incident that occurred on the 300 block of East Third Street, in the City of Oil City.
According to court documents, Oil City Police Department filed criminal charges against 36-year-old Ruben Richard Craig, III, of Oil City.
Details of the Incident:
According to a criminal complaint, around 10:21 p.m. on May 30, 2016, Oil City Police Officers responded to the area of the 300 East Third Street for a report of a fight with possible weapons involved.
“Through investigation and multiple interviews, it was discovered that Ruben Craig intentionally attempted to cause the death of another human being by using a black in color K Bar Sheath knife with a brown in color handle and stabbed the victim a minimum of two times,” the complaint states.
The complaint indicates that Craig also “placed the victim and other persons in danger of death or serious bodily injury.”
According to the complaint, police conducted interviews which included “an admission by Craig that he used the subject knife to cause injuries to the victim.”
“The victim suffered injuries to the upper right side and or chest area as well as the upper inner thigh or groin area,” the complaint continues.
The Oil City Fire Department and Community Ambulance Service assisted the Oil City Police Department at to the scene.
The male victim was transported to UPMC Northwest in Seneca and then transferred to a Pittsburgh medical facility for additional life-saving treatment.
Based on the above listed facts, Patrolman Ruditis, of the Oil City Police Department, requested an arrest warrant be issued for Ruben Craig.
Oil City Police Chief Robert Wenner told exploreVenango.com, “The victim is now out of the hospital and is recovering from the injuries.”
When asked about the delay in arresting Craig, Chief Wenner said there were many factors to consider. For example:
- The Oil City Police were working with the District Attorney on the case. The District Attorney was called to the crime scene, and an investigation ensued.
- The police needed to conduct a thorough investigation because of the severity of the crime, which included examining all of the physical evidence at the scene.
- Authorities also delayed the arrest because of the life-threatening injuries of the victim. It was uncertain whether the victim would survive the attack.
Craig Arraigned, Jailed, Awaiting Preliminary Hearing
Craig was arraigned at 10:30 a.m. on August 4 in front of Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish on the following charges:
- Attempted Criminal Homicide
- Aggravated Assault, Felony 1
- Aggravated Assault, Felony 2
- Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2
Unable to post $250,000.00 straight bail, Craig was lodged in the Venango County Jail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on August 10 in Venango County Central Court with Judge Fish presiding.
Previous Crime
According to court records, Craig is also facing criminal charges for a June 6, 2016 case for a second-degree felony of Possession Of Firearm Prohibited. This case is working its way through the court system.
