A woman and a man from West Virginia were arrested after the woman pulled a handgun during a child custody exchange in Tarentum on Friday night, according to court records.
Tarentum police arrested Alexis Sage Simpkins, 22, of Morgantown, W.Va., and Joseph Erickson, 24, of Fairmont, W.Va., after responding shortly after 9 p.m. to a report that two people with handguns were outside a home in the 300 block of West 11th Avenue and threatening the people there, according to their criminal complaints.
As an officer approached the home, a car with West Virginia plates was backing out of the driveway. The officer used his vehicle to prevent it from leaving, the complaints state.
Numerous people near the porch of the home pointed at the car yelling, “That’s them.”
Simpkins, the driver, and Erickson, the passenger, were both detained. According to the complaints, Simpkins admitted to having two handguns and gave the officer permission to retrieve them from the car.
A Ruger .380 in the center console was not loaded. A 9mm Ruger on the passenger side floor was loaded with a live round in the chamber, the complaints say.
Neither Simpkins or Erickson have a concealed weapons permit in Pennsylvania or any state, police found.
Police said they learned from the people at the house that a child custody exchange was taking place there. They said Erickson became aggressive and a fight took place between him and a man at the house, during which Simpkins retrieved one of the guns from her vehicle, loaded the chamber by moving the slide back, and pointed it at four others, the complaints state.
The Tarentum officer arrived shortly after that moment. The officer reported that the man from the house had a large abrasion and a “goose egg” on his forehead, according to the complaints.
Simpkins and Erickson were each charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a firearm without a license. Simpkins was also charged with misdemeanor counts of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person; Erickson was charged with disorderly conduct.
They were arraigned Saturday and released on their own recognizance, according to court records. Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for 1:15 p.m. March 4 before District Judge Carolyn S. Bengel.
