Westmoreland County Man Faces Aggravated Assault Charges After Driveway Wrestling Leaves Victim In Critical Condition

Jake Stepansky, 29, faces assault and strangulation charges after a wrestling match left a man with a fractured skull and brain bleed.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 13, 2026, 5:47 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from TribLIVE

Neighborhood Gathering Ends in Critical Injury

A social gathering in the Claridge neighborhood of Penn Township took a tragic turn on Saturday evening when a physical interaction between two men led to a life threatening emergency. According to Penn Township police, officers were dispatched to a residence on Church Street at approximately 9:15 p.m. following reports of an unresponsive male. Upon arrival, first responders discovered 29 year old Jake G. Stepansky in a state of visible distress while a witness performed life saving measures on the victim, identified as Joseph Hixson. Evidence at the scene, including blood on the asphalt, indicated a high impact injury occurred at the terminus of the residential driveway.

Surveillance Footage Documents Tactical Maneuver

The investigation into the incident was significantly aided by security camera footage provided by a witness who had been hosting a small fire for several families. The video evidence reportedly captures Stepansky and Hixson engaged in what initially appeared to be play fighting, a common interaction between the two men. However, the footage shows the situation escalating when Stepansky wrapped his arm around Hixson’s neck in a tactical chokehold. According to court documents, Stepansky was heard on the recording making repetitive statements before dropping the unresponsive victim, whose head was seen bouncing off the pavement.

Medical Assessment Reveals Severe Cranial Trauma

Following the encounter, Hixson was rushed to a Pittsburgh area hospital where medical professionals diagnosed him with a fractured skull and a brain bleed. The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office has categorized the victim's condition as critical, noting that he was unresponsive and breathing heavily when police first reached the scene. The severity of the internal injuries suggest that the fall, combined with the loss of consciousness from the chokehold, prevented the victim from utilizing any natural defensive movements to break his descent onto the hard surface.