Out on bond, accused mall shooting instigator back behind bars
The Butler man accused of instigating the Jan. 18 shooting at the Clearview Mall parking lot in Center Township was arrested Wednesday morning and arraigned on two new sets of charges, both of which involve guns.
Damian J. Blystone, 19, was arrested and arraigned early Wednesday on charges by two different police departments.
Blystone was released on $50,000 bond Monday from Butler County Prison. He was being held on state police charges related to the shooting in the parking lot between Rural King and Boscov’s at the mall.
On Wednesday afternoon, District Judge Lewis Stoughton revoked Blystone’s bond in the case related to the shooting, saying Blystone posed a danger to society.
Stemming from his alleged involvement in the shooting, state police charged Blystone with felony terroristic threats and gun possession as well as misdemeanor reckless endangerment, marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia possession.
Police accused Blystone of pointing a gun in the direction of the alleged mall shooter, Carlos Gonzalez Carril, 24, of Butler, before the shooting occurred.
According to authorities, Blystone was pulled over by Middlesex Township Police on Wednesday and found to have two stolen guns in his vehicle. Those guns had been reported stolen along with two others by Penn Township Police, who also filed their own charges following the arrest.
Middlesex Township Police charged Blystone with felony stolen property possession as well as a traffic citation for driving without insurance.
Penn Township Police also filed charges including felony gun possession, stolen property possession and alteration of a gun’s serial number.
District Judge Sue Haggerty arraigned Blystone and placed him back in Butler County Prison on a combined $300,000 bond.
According to charging documents, Middlesex Township Police stopped a tan SUV on Pittsburgh Road because the vehicle’s registration showed the insurance had been canceled.
Police said as they approached the vehicle they recognized Blystone, who was sitting in the rear of the vehicle, behind the driver. Police said before they reached the vehicle, both passenger side doors swung open.
“I told them to stay in the car,” police said. “When I got (Blystone) out of the SUV, I noticed a bag on the rear driver side with an end of a gun (showing).”
Police said they detained the three passengers, one of whom was a juvenile, and searched two of them and took a closer look at the bag.
Police said the juvenile had a .22-caliber magazine loaded with two bullets in one pocket and a .40-caliber bullet in his other pocket. Blystone was found with 12 .22LR-caliber bullets in his pocket.
According to police, inside the bag, which would have been at the feet of Blystone, officers found one American Tactical 22LR-caliber pistol, a Hermitage 22LR-caliber pistol and a realistic-looking Glock BB gun.
Police said Butler County 911 dispatchers told officers the serial numbers of both real pistols matched those linked to a Penn Township Police investigation.
Penn Township Police also were called to the scene and took custody of the pistols.
According to charging documents from their case, Penn Township Police had been investigating a Dec. 23 reported theft of four pistols from a Penn Township home.
Police said in addition to the two pistols found Wednesday, two other pistols were reported stolen, including a 9 mm Glock and a 9 mm High-Point.
Police said during their investigations that they discovered two other people, a juvenile and another man, gave the pistols to Blystone, who is prohibited from carrying guns.
Based on multiple searches of court records Wednesday afternoon, Blystone is the sole person charged thus far in relation to the guns, despite the alleged participation of others.
On the latest charges, Blystone is scheduled to appear for preliminary hearings Feb. 9 before Haggerty. Blystone is also scheduled for a preliminary hearing Feb. 8 before Stoughton for the shooting case.
