According to a criminal complaint filed by Pottsville Police Department, officers were dispatched at approximately 12:11 a.m. on January 1, 2026, to the area of East Norwegian Street and North Claude A. Lord Boulevard for a report of an assault.
Upon arrival, police encountered an adult male victim who was bleeding heavily from the head and face and appeared unsteady on his feet. The victim told officers he had been attending a New Year’s Eve gathering at a family member’s residence when he was attacked by multiple relatives. He reported being struck in the head and face with glass bottles by two family members and identified them as the primary attackers.
While officers were speaking with the victim and awaiting EMS, he reportedly pointed out a white vehicle traveling southbound on Claude A. Lord Boulevard and indicated the alleged attackers were inside. The victim was transported by EMS to Lehigh Valley Hospital–Schuylkill East for treatment of a traumatic head injury, facial lacerations, and a closed fracture of the nasal bone.
Police located and stopped the white Mitsubishi sedan and detained two occupants, including Antonio Jose Perez, 23, of Allentown. Both individuals were transported to City Hall for questioning.
According to police, one of the vehicle occupants stated the victim was heavily intoxicated and became involved in an argument with members of the Perez family over a bottle of alcohol. Perez also spoke with police after waiving his Miranda rights and claimed the dispute escalated into a physical altercation involving exchanged punches before the fight was broken up and the victim left the residence.
However, police reported finding significant blood spatter on Perez’s glasses and clothing, as well as blood on his hands, ear, and scalp. Officers noted Perez’s hands did not show injuries consistent with a fistfight that would explain the severity of the victim’s injuries.
Police later responded to the East Market Street residence where the gathering occurred. Inside the kitchen, officers observed blood drops and recovered a smashed beer bottle and a broken blender pitcher with visible blood smears from a trash can.
As a result of the investigation, Antonio Jose Perez was charged with felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor simple assault, and summary harassment.
The second person alleged to have been involved in the assault was not charged as of this posting.
Perez was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli and committed to Schuylkill County Prison on $25,000 straight cash bail. He later posted bail through a bondsman and was released on January 2, 2026.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 12, 2026, before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley.
Perez was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli and committed to Schuylkill County Prison on $25,000 straight cash bail. He later posted bail through a bondsman and was released on January 2, 2026.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 12, 2026, before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley.