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Fight leads to assault, endangerment charges

Accused of firing a gun at another man on Feb. 18, a Northern Cambria man faces a list of criminal charges, including felony aggravated assault.

Nathaniel D. Baum, 26, of 801 Hubert Ave., was arraigned on the charges Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Michael Zungali, online court documents show.

According to a criminal complaint filed in March by Northern Cambria police, officers were called shortly before 3 a.m. on Feb. 18 to a hit-and-run accident along Cherry Ridge Terrace, where a man reported that Baum had damaged two vehicles.

Baum was driving a “blue Jeep,” which he exited and left in reverse, causing it to drift into the other vehicles, the man told police.

Baum then allegedly fled the crash site.

While investigating the crash, officers heard a woman “screaming” that Baum had shot at her brother at the home on Hubert Avenue, police said.

The woman told police “her child, who is only 1 year old, was left in the residence.”

Officers then headed to the home, and, on the way, they ran into the brother, who also told them that Baum had shot at him, according to the complaint.

The brother said he visited Baum’s home to check on the 1-year-old child. The men then began to fight, according to the complaint, which cites the brother’s report.

In that report, the brother told police that he confronted Baum, who subsequently wrecked his vehicle into a tree in the home’s yard.

Baum then became angry and retrieved a shotgun, which he pointed at the brother’s head, according to the complaint.

A scuffle ensued when the brother grabbed the gun in an attempt to disarm Baum, who was eventually able to overpower his opponent, police said.

During the altercation, Baum fired the gun twice, according to the complaint, which explains the brother was eventually able to take the gun away from Baum.

According to the complaint, Baum tried to get the weapon back, but the brother used it to club him on the head two times.

The two men continued

to exchange punches. Eventually Baum threatened to get another gun, which he would use to “kill” the brother, police said.

That alleged threat caused the brother to flee from the home.

Officers arrived at the home, and found a blue Jeep crashed into a tree, and heard a baby crying on the home’s second floor, according to the complaint.

Because of fears for the child’s safety, officers forced their way into the home.

The baby was located and taken to safety, then officers searched the rest of the house.

According to the complaint, Baum was found unresponsive in a bathtub, and it was suspected that he had overdosed on drugs.

An officer administered the opiate antidote naloxone, and Baum was revived, according to the complaint.

Baum was then arrested.

In addition to felony aggravated assault, Baum faces misdemeanor charges of recklessly endangering another person, endangering the welfare of a child, disorderly conduct and causing an accident that resulted in damage to vehicles or property.

He also faces summary charges of harassment, failing to render aid at the site of an accident and failing

to notify police of an accident.

As of Tuesday afternoon, online court documents showed that Baum was unable to post 10 percent of $200,000 bail. Those documents show Baum being held in Cambria County Prison.

He is to appear for a preliminary hearing at 1 p.m. June 26 before Zungali.

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