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Woman hospitalized after sledgehammer attack
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A Washington County man was charged with attempted homicide after police said he attacked a woman with a sledgehammer on Sunday.
In a criminal complaint, police said Paul Charles Helmick, 47, of Washington, attacked 51-year-old Lori Ann Phillips at her apartment on Bel Air Drive, after breaking down her door with a sledgehammer shortly before noon on Sunday. He then hit Ms. Phillips on the right side of the head, leaving her with a depressed skull fracture.
A neighbor heard the commotion and encountered Mr. Helmick, asking him what he did. He replied "I killed [her] dead," according the complaint.
Ms. Phillips was flown to UPMC Presbyterian, where she was listed in critical condition on Sunday, according to the complaint.
Mr. Helmick was arraigned overnight before District Judge Larry Hopkins, who set his bail at $250,000. He is also charged with two counts of aggravated assault, burglary, harassment and criminal mischief.
First Published January 31, 2012 12:00 am
