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Porter family contends with home invasion

by jmaloni
Sat, Aug 7th 2010 01:00 pm

A Town of Porter family received a rude awakening Wednesday morning, as a Newfane man recently paroled after serving time for robbery, forced his way into their home at 1058 Youngstown-Lockport Road. The man proceeded to hold a man and his wife hostage and engaged in a violent struggle being before subdued by responding officers.

According to the New York State Police and news sources, at 6:06 a.m. Wednesday, Niagara County Sheriffs responded to a 911 call of a man, reportedly with a gun, who was later identified as Shawn M. Zimmerman, 31. Zimmerman reportedly had entered the residence of Barry R. Dubetsky on the pretense of wanting to use the phone, and went on to engage in a violent struggle, stabbing Dubetsky, 51, in the abdomen, and his wife, Therese Dubetsky, 50 in the hand. The couple's two teenage daughters were upstairs at the time of the attack.

According to State Police spokesman Ronald Warner, responding officers, which included State Troopers, Niagara County Sheriff's Department and Lewiston Police, were able make contact with Zimmerman by phone. The suspect had been making threats he would kill the occupants if they did not leave; officers immediately entered the residence and took him into custody. No gun was found at the scene.

Officers said the butcher knife that Zimmerman used did not belong to the homeowners and it is believed that he had brought it with him. Offers were also unsure as to Zimmerman's motive for entering the Dubetsky home and were investigating if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Barry Dubetsky was taken by ambulance to ECMC in Buffalo for treatment of the stab wound; his wife was taken by private vehicle to the same hospital for treatment of lacerations to her hand. Their two daughters were not injured.

Zimmerman was arraigned at Lewiston Town Court on charges of burglary, felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon. He was remanded to the Niagara County Jail without bail and is scheduled for a Porter Town Court appearance on Wednesday.

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