During a preliminary hearing Monday, Oct. 24, a man who was stabbed in an altercation said the man accused of the offense is not the one who stabbed him.

The testimony resulted in an aggravated assault charge to be dropped against Antoine Funes, 18, of McKees Rocks.

Charges were filed against Funes last week after Butler City police said he stabbed someone following an altercation that started over text messages.

Regina Porter and her son, Caydon Claypoole, 19, testified before District Judge William T. Fullerton and said the incident began when a white SUV arrived at their home.

When questioned by assistant district attorney Robert M. Zanella Jr., Porter said the car approached her home, and three people got out onto her property. After asking them to leave, she began speaking with a male wearing a puffer jacket and glasses, whom she identified as Funes.

“The kid in the puffer jacket kept trying to go up the alley and coming back,” she said. “It all happened so fast to be honest, all I seen was my son go down.”

Porter added that she thought the three people came to fight one of her roommates, but she knew nothing else about the situation.

Michael McFarland, the public defender representing Funes, asked Porter what happened after her son fell.

“When my son went down, a juvenile from my home runs over to help. I watched where my son was. Someone picked something up and was gone,” she said. “My son was trying to get up and he said ‘Mom, I’ve been stabbed.’”

Porter reported her son being stabbed in an area below the ribs and above the hip. She said she took him to Butler Memorial Hospital, and he was moved to UPMC Presbyterian for more-advanced treatment.

During questioning, Zanella asked Claypoole to identify the person who stabbed him. Claypoole replied he would only know him by face.

“That’s not him,” he said, referencing Funes. “That’s one of them that was involved, but that’s not him.”

Zanella dropped the felony aggravated assault against Funes following testimony. Funes was set to be released after the hearing.