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From Mirror staff reports
Two city men are behind bars on attempted homicide and related charges after a shooting Saturday night.
Altoona police were dispatched about 10:58 p.m. Saturday to the 1300 block of North Fourth Avenue for a male with a gunshot wound.
Police said the male was shot in the mouth, had a glancing bullet wound to his back and a gunshot into his backpack. According to the report, a 9mm bullet penetrated the victim's mouth and exited the opposite cheek.
The suspected shooter, Benjamin Lee Merritts, 27, was at the scene with James Alvin Cain Jr., 38, and both fled the scene before police arrived, the report states.
Police found the men a few blocks from the scene, each heading in a different direction, and they were taken into custody, police reported on the department's Facebook page.
A Glock 19, suspected of being used in the shooting, was recovered a short distance from where Merritts was apprehended. Police said it was previously reported stolen.
Merritts was arraigned Sunday before Magisterial District Judge Paula M. Aigner on a felony charge of criminal attempt - criminal homicide, two felony charges of aggravated assault, felony charges of criminal trespass, receiving stolen property, possession of a firearm prohibited and carrying a firearm without a license, along with three misdemeanor charges of simple assault, possession of an instrument of crime with intent, possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance.
Unable to post $750,000 bail, he was remanded to the Blair County Prison.
Cain was also arraigned Sunday before Aigner on a felony charge of criminal attempt - criminal homicide, two felony charges of aggravated assault and a felony charge of criminal trespass, along with three misdemeanor counts of simple assault and related charges.
Unable to post $500,000 bail, he was remanded to the Blair County Prison.
Both Merritts and Cain face preliminary hearings Aug. 28 before Magisterial District Judge Daniel C. DeAntonio.
No additional information on the incident was available Sunday. The condition of the victim was not reported.