Man who kidnapped woman at gunpoint gets 7.5 to 20 years

Victim: Fagan ‘thrives on women’s suffering’

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The ex-girlfriend of a city man who kidnapped her at gunpoint last year told him that he was an "egotistical idiot who thrives on women's suffering."

Landon Robert Fagan, 23, cried throughout Thursday's sentencing hearing held in front of Judge Paula M. Aigner. Fagan was found guilty by a Blair County jury in May of a felony count of kidnap to inflict injury or terror, two misdemeanor counts each of terroristic threats and simple assault, single misdemeanor counts of unlawful restraint, stalking, false imprisonment and recklessly endangering another person and single summary counts of disorderly conduct and harassment.

Aigner sentenced Fagan to 7.5- to 20-years' incarceration, to be followed by two years of supervision. He was also ordered to pay $3,750 in fines and pay about $3,600 in restitution for the victim's medical bills. Aigner recommended Fagan undergo anger management, batterer's counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, a drug and alcohol evaluation and a mental health evaluation as a part of his potential parole.

The charges were brought after Fagan in May 2025 waited outside DJ's Cafe at 2068 Columbia Ave. in Tyrone for the victim to exit. A witness told officers that the victim left the cafe with another woman and two men when Fagan pointed a gun in their direction and forced the victim into his vehicle. Another witness said the car drove off with its passenger door half open.

In an interview, the victim told officers she escaped the vehicle at one point, but Fagan grabbed her by the hair and pushed her back into the car.

She tried to escape again by hitting Fagan in the face, but Fagan hit her with a closed fist.

The victim said Fagan stopped the vehicle at a Sheetz, so she ran inside and hid in the bathroom. She was then able to sneak out of the store's back door and run home, the police report states.

Before handing down Fagan's sentence, Aigner heard from defense attorney Daniel Kiss, who described Fagan as "someone who has not been in trouble" before.

Kiss asked Aigner to sentence Fagan at the low end of the standard range, to be followed by a probationary sentence. He said Fagan had behaved while on bail awaiting trial and that he was engaged with a child on the way.

"We believe he is capable of living a crime-free lifestyle," Kiss said.

Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Mays, who prosecuted the case alongside Assistant District Attorney Dani McCormick, reminded the court that Fagan had threatened multiple people with a firearm the night of the incident. He stated that the victim had already undergone one surgery to repair her nose, which had been broken by Fagan, and that she might need to see a plastic surgeon in Pittsburgh to resolve ongoing issues.

"That night is going to stick with her," Mays said.

The victim and her mother each gave victim impact statements, with the victim presenting Aigner with a framed photo she had given Fagan for Valentine's Day. She said Fagan had written her a note on the back of the photo the night of the incident blaming her for what occurred.

In the note, Fagan asked the victim for an explanation before writing "I can't believe you were actually going to cheat on me."

The victim said she "felt like a loser because I was dating a loser" and asked Fagan, "what the hell was going through your head" during the 30-minute drive from his residence to the restaurant where he kidnapped her.

"You're an egotistical idiot who thrives on women's suffering," the victim said. "If anyone tells you that you matter, please don't believe them."

The victim then told Aigner that she had finished school and was in therapy.

"I'm finally extremely happy and doing well for myself," she said.

The victim's mother told Aigner that she had prepared to go looking for the victim the night of the incident but "didn't have to look far because she came running into the house covered in blood."

She said she couldn't get the surveillance videos from Sheetz that were played at trial out of her head because they showed Fagan "stalking (the victim) like prey." If the victim had not been able to get away from Fagan, the victim's mother said she was sure he would have "ended her life."

"She was literally running for her life that night," the victim's mother said.

When given the opportunity to address the court, Fagan apologized through tears to the victim and her family, saying this incident was "the worst mistake of my life."

"If I could go back and put my pride and jealousy aside, I would," Fagan said. "That whole situation was messed up from the beginning."

Following Fagan's statements, Aigner sentenced him to 90- to 240-months' imprisonment in a state correctional institution.

Fagan initially posted his $50,000 bail after his arrest and remained free until his trial. On May 29, following the jury's guilty verdict, Aigner revoked Fagan's bail and remanded him to the Blair County Prison to await sentencing.

Mirror staff writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.