Man waives hearing in alleged building threat case

A Cambridge Springs man accused of threatening to blow up a borough apartment building last month is heading to trial on fewer charges.

On Friday, Bryan D. Moles, 41, waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges filed by Cambridge Springs Police Department for the alleged Oct. 16 incident at a multiple tenant Church Street apartment building.

By waiving his right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Lincoln Zilhaver, Moles automatically was ordered held for trial on two felony counts of terroristic threats and individual misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief tampering with property, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

However, police withdrew two other misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief and one misdemeanor count of tampering with fire apparatus.

According to the arrest affidavit filed, police arrived at the apartment building for a reported fire and found Moles tearing wiring and fuses out of a fuse box at the bottom of the building's stairs. The fuse box was damaged and the building had a partial loss of power, the affidavit said.

When police ordered Moles out of the building, he fled into his apartment and refused to come out. Moles claimed he had a gun and would set the apartment on fire, the affidavit said.

Moles eventually did emerge from the apartment but would not comply with police commands.

The affidavit said police had to use a taser on Moles; however, he then physically resisted being taken into custody. It required four officers to get Moles into handcuffs.

Moles is free on $50,000 bond awaiting trial during the March 2025 term of Crawford County Court of Common Pleas.