VERNON TOWNSHIP — Questions over the paternity of a child are what allegedly sparked a fight at a Vernon Township home last month, according to testimony at a preliminary court hearing Friday for two Meadville brothers.

Derrick E. Crump, 21, and Erick D. Crump, 20, both of 416 Pine St., Meadville, were bound over to the next term of Crawford County Court of Common Pleas on multiple charges by Magisterial District Judge Michael Rossi for allegedly taking an 8-month-old child from a Middle Road home and assaulting a man and two women inside the home. Vernon Township police allege the incident happened before 8 a.m. on Oct. 13.

Derrick Crump is alleged by Vernon Township police to have assaulted Seth Wise, Shannon Kightlinger and Kim Ogden and injured an 8-month-old child during a fight at home in the 14300 block of Middle Road while Erick Crump is alleged to have choked Wise to the point of unconsciousness during the incident. The Crumps are alleged by police to have taken the child back to their Meadville home after the fight.

In testimony Friday, Wise said the incident had its roots in messages between himself and Derrick Crump on the social media Internet site Facebook over the alleged paternity of Kightlinger’s 8-month-old son.

Wise testified that Kightlinger had said there was a possibility Wise may be the child’s father.

Wise said he had gone to the Middle Road home that day around 7:30 a.m. to have Kightlinger and the child go to his home when the Crump brothers appeared at the home.

Wise testified he was standing in a bedroom while Kightlinger, Ogden who is Kightlinger’s mother, and the 8-month-old were lying in bed when Derrick Crump came into the room, charging at Wise.

The two men got into a fight and fell onto the bed on top of the others in the melee, Wise said.

Wise testified Erick Crump had grabbed him by the throat and squeezed Wise so hard he lost consciousness.

Kightlinger testified that she and Derrick Crump had a sexual relationship and that she and Derrick Crump had informal arrangement to share custody of the 8-month-old child.

She testified that Wise and Derrick Crump fought, but did not recall that she had been struck by Derrick Crump as many as 15 times.

Questioned by Theresa Miller-Sporrer, an assistant Crawford County district attorney, about a written statement Kightlinger gave to Vernon Township police about the incident as well as a protection from abuse order Kightlinger filed in connection with the case, Kightlinger said she didn’t remember writing them.

“He didn’t hit me — that was a lie,” Kightlinger said under oath.

Kightlinger admitted both she and her child sustained injuries in the incident.

Officer Kyle Grill of the Vernon Township Police Department testified that during an interview with Derrick Crump that Crump admitted to having issues with Seth Wise and had gone to the Middle Road home to check on the welfare of the child.

Grill testified Crump said he was angered Wise was in the bedroom and also was angry over the fact Crump thought he was the father of the child, but then had been told otherwise. Crump also told Grill that he had never struck Kightlinger, Grill testified.

Grill testified Derrick Crump stated that he had broken windows on Wise’s vehicle and that he and his brother, Erick, had taken the child to their Meadville home following the incident.

Rossi ordered Derrick Crump held for trial on one count each of aggravated assault and concealing the whereabouts of a child; three counts of simple assault; two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and criminal mischief; and four counts each of recklessly endangering another person and harassment.

Rossi ordered Erick Crump held for trial on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child; one count of concealing the whereabouts of a child, simple assault and harassment; and four counts of recklessly endangering another person.

Derrick Crump remains free on $15,000 bond and Erick Crump is free on $7,500 bond.

        

Keith Gushard can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.