Perkasie man pointed unloaded gun at victims, chased man with butcher knife, police say

A Perkasie man has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault for allegedly pointing an unloaded gun at two people, telling them he would shoot them, and chasing one of them with a butcher knife.

Layth Fayed Taye Tawalbeh, 33, of South Second Street, was also arrested and arraigned on two misdemeanor counts each of terroristic threats, possessing an instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person, and simple assault, according to the criminal complaint filed March 8 by Perkasie Borough Police.

Police were dispatched to a report of an assault on South Second Street and encountered Tawalbeh at a home, yelling at a man at the top of a staircase, per the affidavit. He allegedly told authorities he got in a fight with the victim and pointed an unloaded pistol at him and chased him with a butcher knife.

Other officers on scene said Tawalbeh’s account matches the victims’ description of events, according to the complaint. Due to Tawalbeh allegedly saying he would shoot them, both victims were in fear for their safety.

An unloaded pistol and a butcher knife were found in plain view in Tawalbeh’s bedroom, investigators allege.

As of Saturday, Tawalbeh remains jailed in Bucks County on 10% of $50,000 cash bail, reduced from 10% of $100,000 cash bail, per court documents. 

In May 2021, he was found guilty of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and sentenced to six months of probation, stemming from a May 2020 arrest in Doylestown Borough, per Bucks County Common Pleas court records.

Six months later, in November, Tawalbeh was given two years' probation after being found guilty of misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person, and also had to pay $10,000 in restitution, stemming from a June 2020 Hilltown Township arrest, according to court records.

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.