Centre County teen accused of assaulting witness in a State High bathroom
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Police arrested an 18-year-old for allegedly assaulting a teen witness at State High.
- Prosecutors charged him with felony retaliation and witness intimidation; jailed.
- He earlier pleaded guilty in vehicle theft case; DA now reviews the plea agreement.
A Centre County man previously charged with stealing State College Area School District vehicles was arrested Tuesday after police said he assaulted the teenager who implicated him — inside a State High bathroom.
Norman P. Ghaner, 18, of Ferguson Township, was accused of punching the 16-year-old male in the face and head at least three times about 3:45 p.m. Monday. The teen was left with a laceration, swelling under his right eye, a cut lip and bruising, State College police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
The two used to be friends, police wrote, but that ended once they and another 18-year-old were arrested in May for stealing two district vehicles, damaging windows in State College and leading officers on a brief pursuit.
During an interview with police, officers said the 16-year-old admitted his involvement and provided evidence implicating Ghaner. He’s since continued to cooperate with Centre County prosecutors.
Ghaner was not to have contact with the teen, but police said he contacted him on social media about “wanting to meet up and potentially fight.”
After the alleged assault, police said Ghaner’s father told a State High administrator that he received a text message from his son that said he “punched the kid with the trucks.”
Ghaner was charged with felony counts of retaliation and intimidation of a witness, as well as a misdemeanor count of simple assault. He was denied bail by District Judge Casey McClain and is incarcerated at the Centre County Correctional Facility.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 15. No defense lawyer was listed.
In his earlier case, Ghaner pleaded guilty in September to misdemeanor counts of theft, conspiracy to commit theft and criminal mischief. He was to be sentenced Oct. 20, but it’s not yet clear if Centre County Judge Brian Marshall will accept the agreement.
Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna said his office is reviewing the plea deal.