A Connellsville man accused of shooting and pistol-whipping his estranged wife’s boyfriend in a gym parking lot will remain jailed pending trial, following a court ruling Tuesday.
Steven Heald, 39, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and stalking in connection with the Jan. 13 shooting outside the Planet Fitness in East Huntingdon’s Crossroads Plaza. He has been held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $500,000 bond since his arrest.
Assistant District Attorney Theresa Miller-Sporrer said Heald is alleged to have stalked and targeted the victim, 45-year-old Joshua Lucas, as he walked to his vehicle after a workout.
“He opened fire in a crowded parking lot. Then, when the bullets ran out Mr. Heald repeatedly hit him in the head with a handgun,” Miller-Sporrer said.
Police said Lucas sustained gunshot wounds to his shoulder, buttocks and hip, as well as bruises and cuts from the beating.
Defense attorney Brian Aston argued for Heald’s release to house arrest on a reduced, unsecured bond, noting his client has no prior criminal record. Aston suggested the confrontation was sparked by the “treatment of my client’s children” and argued Heald does not pose a threat to the general public.
However, Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani denied the request Tuesday.
“I don’t believe releasing him on bond will adequately protect the community,” Feliciani said.
Authorities said the two men had been in contact via text messages and in-person conversations for months leading up to the shooting. Police said Heald fled the scene after the assault but later turned himself in to Connellsville police.
A trial date has not been set.