Cranberry Man Faces Assault Charges in Knife Incident

A Cranberry man is facing felony assault charges after police said he cut his girlfriend’s fingers with a kitchen knife during a fight at his home.

Robert Tamas Szabo, 41, of Monmouth Drive, is charged with aggravated assault, possessing an instrument of crime, and harassment.

According to a criminal complaint, Cranberry police went to the home around midnight on June 10 in response to a disturbance at the house. Dispatchers told police a woman could be heard screaming that Szabo was hurting her, according to the complaint.

When police arrived, officers said Szabo came out of the house holding a kitchen knife in one hand and a cell phone in the other. His girlfriend, who police said was crying and bloodied from severe cuts to her left fingers, followed him outside.

Police said Szabo stuck the knife point-down into the ground after officers ordered him to drop it.

Szabo told police he and his girlfriend, who is his neighbor, got into an argument about their relationship after a visit from his parents. According to the complaint, Szabo told police he used his Army knife to protect himself after his girlfriend hit him in the forehead with a pan.

The woman said Szabo came at her with the knife and wrestled with her, cutting her in the process. She told police she thought he was going to kill her, according to the complaint.

Police said Szabo was carrying a kitchen knife and not an army knife. Szabo said he did not know how the kitchen knife ended up in his hand. He also told police he did not know how his girlfriend got cut.

He faces a preliminary hearing at 10 a.m. on July 8 before District Justice David Kovach.