SHAMOKIN - A 42-year-old Shamokin man who told police he's killed 16 people is in Northumberland County Prison today after allegedly biting his roommate in the neck, resisting arrest and spitting in the face of Shamokin Police Chief Edward Griffiths early Saturday morning.
Ronald Morgenstern, of 130 E. Dewart St., Apt. 6, was arraigned at about 7 a.m. Saturday by on-call Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III on a felony of aggravated assault by a prisoner and misdemeanors of simple assault, resisting arrest, harassment and disorderly conduct relating to disturbances that began at about 4:30 a.m. at his apartment.
According to a criminal complaint filed by Griffiths, Morgenstern is accused of grabbing his roommate, Betty Yost, by the throat and biting her in the neck after Yost refused to give him money. Police said Morgenstern also allegedly smashed a coffee table in the apartment and threw it into a wall.
Upon arriving at the apartment and being informed by Yost about the incident, Griffiths and Cpl. John Brown attempted to take Morgenstern into custody, but he became combative and resisted arrest, police said. Griffiths, who was able to handcuff the defendant, said Morgenstern attempted to pull him down the steps of the apartment and continued to yell and curse at both officers while en route to the police station in the back of a police cruiser.
Griffiths said Morgenstern continued to berate and threaten him and started kicking at him when he opened the door of the police car upon arriving at the station.
The chief said Morgenstern then banged his head several times off a brick wall at the station while claiming he was "mental" and had killed 16 people over his lifetime.
While Griffiths was locking the cell door, he said Morgenstern spit in his face and hair and claimed he was going to "sue." The defendant also is accused of banging on the cell door, berating the officers again and spitting on the cell door and walls and a doorway leading to the cell.
Morgenstern, who has lived in multiple states, has an extensive criminal record, including arrests for manslaughter, robbery, terroristic threats, assault and driving under the influence. But police aren't aware of any connections to homicides.
He was committed to Northumberland County Prison in Sunbury in lieu of $50,000 cash bail. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing this morning before Gembic.