19-year-old Brady DiStefano of Johnstown is tentatively scheduled to appear before District Judge Susanne Steffee today for arraignment on a new charge of criminal homicide. Indiana Borough police filed the amended charge yesterday.
DiStefano was already charged with aggravated assault in the death of 20-year-old Caleb Zweig of Rockville, Maryland. The two were involved in a fight on the night of February 3rd in the 800 block of Wayne Avenue. A witness pulled DiStefano off the unconscious Zweig and applied medical aid until ambulance personnel arrived, but Zweig never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead early the next morning at the Indiana Regional Medical Center. The witness said DiStefano was on top of Zweig and was choking him.
District Attorney Pat Dougherty said yesterday that the new charge of criminal homicide was based on autopsy results that placed the cause of death as asphyxiation due to strangulation. He said the ultimate disposition will most likely be third degree murder or manslaughter.
DiStefano is expected to plead not guilty at today’s arraignment. He and Zweig were Phi Delta Theta fraternity brothers, but he is no longer a student at IUP. He’s free on $50,000 bond and Dougherty said he will remain eligible for bond.
