Judge dismisses charges against Pitt sophomore

A local magistrate judge dismissed several charges against a Pitt sophomore on Jan. 16.

The judge, James Motznik, dismissed two charges faced by Matthew Stefurak, both stemming from a Sept. 29, 2019, incident outside Frenchi’s Deli on Atwood Street. The charges included one count each of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person.

Mike Manko, a spokesperson for the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office, declined to comment on the dismissal.

According to a criminal complaint filed by City police, two officers in South Oakland were flagged down by a Pitt student outside of the deli around midnight. As the officers exited their vehicle, they found an unconscious male Pitt student “bleeding heavily from multiple lacerations on his face as well as from his nose and mouth,” according to the complaint.

The victim’s roommate, who had flagged down the officers, told them that the two had a verbal altercation with another man after Stefurak did not allow them to enter a South Oakland house party, the complaint said. They ran into Stefurak for a second time at the deli, and the physical altercation occurred there.

The victim was transported to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, where he was treated for a concussion, two black eyes and multiple scratches.

City police received a tip that Stefurak was the assailant, according to the complaint. When an officer interviewed him about the incident, Stefurak admitted to kicking the victim in the face and told the officer that “kicking him while he was on the ground was a mistake but [Stefurak] was defending himself,” the complaint said.