Man admits to assaulting teen at bus stop

A Carbon County man admitted in the county court on Monday to assaulting a teen at a bus stop in retaliation for an incident involving the victim and his son.

Christopher Michael Barachie, 38, of Nesquehoning, pleaded guilty to one count of simple assault for an incident that occurred on March 29, 2019, along Jamestown Street in Mahoning Township. In exchange for the plea, the district attorney’s office dropped a more serious charge of strangulation — applying pressure to throat or neck.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by police officer Jeff Frace, the victim’s mother contacted police to report her 15-year-old son was assaulted by Barachie when he got off the school bus. The boy said he was involved in an argument with Barachie’s son on the bus and that when he got off, Barachie’s son told him he would stab the victim, then ran into his residence.

The victim said while on the street with friends, Barachie came out of the residence and confronted him about the argument with Barachie’s son, saying, “Are you talking crap on my son?”

The victim said Barachie grabbed him by the neck and he blacked out. He said the next thing he remembered was getting helped off the ground by his friend. The victim’s mother said Barachie was a family friend until this.

After multiple unsuccessful attempts to reach Barachie, at around 6 p.m. May 8, Frace again called the number he had listed for Barachie, who answered, and Frace said he needed to speak with him.

Barachie was uncooperative and told Frace he wouldn’t come to the station. Frace said he would just file the charges, and Barachie said something in a derogatory manner and Frace hung up.

About 10 minutes after the conversation with Barachie, the victim’s mother called Frace and said that Barachie called her almost immediately after Frace contacted him. Barachie asked the victim’s mother about the incident and wanted to know who was pushing the charges.

Barachie told her he spoke with the victim and things were good between them.

He then said to her, “I just want to know whose house to show up at, because if I’m going to jail, I’ll make sure I’m going for something good.”

The victim’s mother also had a text from a few days after the initial incident in which Barachie said he “got out of hand,” “lost his cool” and “not justifying what happened.”

Barachie said nothing concerning the incident Monday after Serfass deferred sentencing and ordered the adult probation office to prepare a presentence investigation report.