A North Wales man is headed to state prison after pleading guilty to a pair of felony charges stemming from two shooting incidents that occurred in Upper Gwynedd Township in April 2022.
Court records show Damian Thomas, 25, pleaded guilty on Friday to two counts of aggravated assault with extreme indifference as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. Additional charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault, reckless endangerment and attempted homicide were dropped in exchange for Thomas’ plea, records show.
Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Wendy Rothstein sentenced Thomas to 4½ to 9 years in state prison, followed by five years’ probation, with Thomas receiving credit for 221 days of time served. Thomas was also ordered to have no “offensive contact” with the victim, forfeit all firearms to the district attorney’s office, and undergo domestic violence counseling.
The charges stem from a pair of same-day shootings in Upper Gwynedd in April 2022.
According to the criminal complaint, Thomas and his girlfriend — who is also the mother of his children — got into an argument during the morning of April 16, 2022, at which point the girlfriend went for a walk and was later picked up by a male friend who drove the two to around for a period. As the two were driving, Thomas continued to call and text the female, however she told police that she ignored the efforts to contact her.
Around 10:09 a.m., the two were traveling westbound along the 600 block of Sumneytown Pike when Thomas appeared in their rearview mirror in a silver Chevrolet SUV, police said. Thomas then allegedly struck the vehicle from behind, pulled up on the driver’s side of the vehicle and fired one shot, shattering the rear driver’s side window, and causing a bullet fragment injury to the male driver’s head, according to charging documents.
Immediately after the shot was fired, the driver pulled a U-turn, drove to safety, and had the female exit the vehicle. He then continued to drive a short distance before he became light-headed and blood began dripping into his eyes, at which point he was able to flag down a police officer and was subsequently transported to the hospital for treatment.
Investigators said the entire incident was captured on surveillance footage.
The female hid behind a tree in the area where she was dropped off, but after 20 to 30 minutes, Thomas became aware of her location, arrived at the scene, and picked her up, police said. Thomas then drove around yelling at the female while waiving a handgun, then proceeded to repeatedly pistol whip the female in the head, according to the complaint.
The victim told police she was scared and began to stare out the window, at which point Thomas allegedly shot her in the left thigh. Thomas then drove the victim to Abington Memorial Hospital and carried her into the emergency room, then stated that he was going to kill himself.
According to Upper Gwynedd Police Chief David Duffy, Thomas’ two children were in the backseat of his vehicle during both shooting incidents, as well as when he was pistol whipping their mother in the head.
“The fact that the kids were in the car as he fired at both persons is the most disturbing part of an already horrific incident,” Duffy said.
In the aftermath of the incidents, an arrest warrant was issued for Thomas on two felony counts of aggravated assault, along with misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and simple assault. Thomas evaded capture for several months, however he was taken into custody in July 2022 by members of the Upper Gwynedd Police Department and U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, who located Thomas in Philadelphia.
See also:
Man Sentenced to Prison for Shooting of Father Protecting Daughter in Lower Gwynedd
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Dump Truck Owner Receives Prison Sentence in Death of Pregnant Lansdale Woman
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