Woman intubated after assault at Altoona home, man arrested after gun found

ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — An alleged assault left a woman intubated at UPMC Altoona and a man arrested, according to police.

Elliot Thomas Creek, 24, was arrested Thursday night, Aug. 29, and charged with aggravated assault with extreme indifference and public drunkenness after Altoona police arrived at the area of E. Hudson Street for a report of a man and woman fighting in the street.

According to a criminal complaint, police arrived to find the victim covered in blood in nothing but a bra and sweatpants while Creek was in boxers and a t-shirt. The victim was said to have been hysterical and afraid of EMS touching her at first. Police noted that when she was finally placed on a gurney, she pleaded for someone to hold her hand, unable to answer any questions.

When speaking with Creek, he alleged that he was the one that was assaulted and when he tried to call 911, the victim kept kicking the phone from him, saying they would both be arrested. He claimed he left the home, but couldn’t answer how the woman got his handgun.

It should be noted that police said the handgun appeared to have failed to fire, likely because someone’s hand got in the way.

The woman was taken to UPMC Altoona with serious injuries where she remained hysterical and ultimately had to be intubated. Police noted she was able to tell nurses she was sexually assaulted by Creek and it wasn’t the first time. Police said she had cuts and abrasions all over her face and body, including bruises to both sides of her ribs.

Police said the front door of the home was open and they were able to do a sweep of the residence and found blood in the bedroom and kitchen. A further search after getting a warrant found bloody clothes and a phone plugged into a charger, the complaint reads. The phone allegedly belonged to Creek, showing that his claims of trying to call 911 and the victim kicking his phone away didn’t add up.

One witness told police they stopped in their truck in the road to ask the two what was going on and the woman grabbed onto the truck. They said they then drove off and she fell to the ground. Police noted in the complaint that some injuries may have happened at that point, but the extent of her injuries couldn’t have been from falling off the truck.

Stay up to date with the latest news in the palm of your hand. Click here to download the WTAJ app for Apple and Android devices.

According to charges, Creek ultimately refused to answer any more questions without legal representation.

Creek was arraigned early Friday morning and placed in Blair County Prison with bail set at $100,000. A mugshot was not available at the time this story was published.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ - www.wtaj.com.