HOLLIDAYSBURG — The Toytown man accused of attempted homicide for allegedly shooting into the windshield of a truck passing his home on Spruce Avenue in December 2024 was sentenced to 3.5 to 12 years’ incarceration after pleading no contest to three felony charges Monday morning.

Michael Joseph Servello, 54, appeared alongside Chief Public Defender Julia Burke when he entered his plea during a trial list review hearing in front of Judge Jackie Atherton Bernard.

In addition to felony attempted homicide, Servello was initially charged with two felony counts each of aggravated assault, possession with intent to deliver and dealing with unlawful proceeds, as well as a single felony count of risking catastrophe. He was also charged with two misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person and single misdemeanor counts of propelling missiles into occupied vehicles, disorderly conduct, possession of controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia.

During Monday’s hearing, Servello pleaded no contest to the two felony counts of aggravated assault and single felony count of risking catastrophe, as well as single misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, propulsion of missiles into an occupied vehicle and possession of drug paraphernalia. The remaining charges against him were then withdrawn and dismissed.

Servello has been in custody at the Blair County Prison in lieu of $400,000 bail since his arrest on Dec. 18, 2024, and was granted credit for time served. He had been scheduled for jury selection on Jan. 26, with a three-day trial to commence on Jan. 28, but those dates were canceled pending the resolution of the offered plea agreement.

The charges were filed against Servello after a truck driver reported being shot at while driving along the 3000 block of Spruce Avenue in late December 2024. The victim said he turned from Pine Avenue onto 31st Street when his front windshield was struck and glass splintered inside the cab, the police report states.

Altoona police were dispatched to the area, where the victim pointed out Servello’s home and said he saw an individual flee inside after the shooting. Officers noted in their report that they were aware of Servello, who made threatening statements in the past saying shots would be fired at trucks passing through the area.

During the investigation, police said it appeared that if the bullet had gone through the windshield, it would have struck the driver in the head. Glass from the windshield caused minor cuts on the victim’s jaw, while a passenger in the truck was unhurt, the report states.

Once Servello was taken into custody, police executed a search warrant on his residence and found a .22 caliber long rifle, two handguns and three shotguns, with the rifle and shotguns leaning against an entry wall to the attic, where a window that overlooks 31st Street was open slightly, according to the report.

In an interview with police, Servello claimed he didn’t know what the investigation was about and said he didn’t shoot a gun since the first week of November. He did admit frustration with the trucks and with the city council’s lack of action, the report states.

Servello had previously named the truck driver, among others, in a notarized “affidavit” he presented to city council at a November 2024 meeting. During that meeting, Servello accused the council of “protecting” trucking firms whose drivers used jake brakes before lambasting the council for lifting a prohibition on jake brakes in his neighborhood, the report states.

Council imposed the jake brake ban for Toytown in 2021 in response to resident complaints, but later rescinded the ban because police lack the manpower to enforce it, banning a vehicle safety device might not comport with legal guidelines and the ban could potentially create liability for the city, according to a council member at the time.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.