Stabbed man arrested

Police say man hurt by owner of home he was burglarizing

By Sara Ganim

A man who police said made up a story about being randomly stabbed in downtown State College was arrested Tuesday in Union County — where police said he was actually stabbed while burglarizing a home.

State police said Mark Allen Hannah, 41, was stabbed in the back several times Sept. 12.

But the stabbing didn’t happen near Beaver Canyon, as he originally told State College police.

Rather, police said Hannah was stabbed when the man who lives in a home off Route 3007 in West Buffalo Township came home between 10 and 11 p.m. and found Hannah burglarizing the place.

Hannah then drove to State College and made up a story about being attacked, police said.

State College police have indicated they plan to charge Hannah with filing a false report. He told them the night of the stabbing that he and his wife drove to State College to help a friend with car trouble, and that he was attacked while walking around looking for the friend.

Hannah said he was wearing Ohio State gear when he was hit over the head and stabbed in the back three times, police reported.

Two days after they received the report, State College police said they didn’t believe the story was true.

State police at the Milton barracks took over the investigation and Tuesday charged Hannah with burglary, criminal trespass and criminal attempt, all felonies.

According to court documents, Hannah was burglarizing the house when the resident and two friends heard him walking around in a bedroom and confronted him. When he tried to leave, one man hit him over the head with a golf club, state police said.

One of them saw Hannah reach for his waistband, and the resident jumped on Hannah’s back and stabbed him three times, according to court documents.

Hannah told the resident he was a DEA agent, and the man was under arrest, court documents state. Hannah then fled on foot into a wooded area, police wrote.

After he reported being stabbed in State College, officers there contacted state police. The burglary victim identified Hannah from a photo lineup.

Hannah underwent surgery for his injuries at Altoona Regional Medical Center, but no information on his condition was available Wednesday.

Sara Ganim can be reached at 231-4616.