HOLLIDAYSBURG - An Altoona man has been declared competent to stand trial on criminal charges in Blair and Lackawanna counties on charges stemming from an alleged shooting spree more than three years ago.
Joseph Brian Olecki, 36, has been housed in the Norristown State Hospital for the last year receiving treatment. Olecki has been evaluated on a regular basis to determine his competency to stand trial for shooting incidents in Logan Township and in his native Scranton.
An evaluation in late February revealed that Olecki is competent enough to stand trial, Blair County Deputy District Attorney Wade Kagarise said Friday.
It means that Olecki's cases in Blair County will be brought up for trial review on April 30.
A judge will determine what needs to be done to prepare the cases for trial and could set a trial date.
Blair and Lackawanna officials have been in contact concerning the Olecki cases, and no decision has been made on where Olecki will be tried first, Kagarise said.
Olecki's alleged crime spree began on March 14, 2009, when he opened fire with an assault rifle outside the home of his estranged girlfriend. Police charged him with shooting 21 rounds into the girlfriend's house and car in Altoona.
Olecki is accused of shooting a Scranton couple who lived next door to his family, police said. The man and woman were wounded in front of their children.
Olecki returned to Blair County two days later and was taken into custody by local police, who said he had a rifle, 500 rounds of ammunition and six homemade pipe bombs when arrested.
In Blair County, Olecki faces numerous charges including attempted homicide, carrying a prohibited weapon, theft, recklessly endangering another person and discharging a firearm into an occupied building. He is charged in Lackawanna County with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and related offenses.
Olecki is represented by Blair County attorney Thomas M. Dickey.
Mirror Staff Writer Phil Ray is at 946-7468.
