A Whitemarsh resident has been convicted by a jury for his actions during a confrontation when his dog and a passerby’s dog got into a fight. From the Times Herald:

John Maltese, 55, of the 4000 block of First Avenue, was convicted in Montgomery County Court of aggravated and simple assault and terroristic threats by a jury that heard testimony during a two-day trial.

By convicting Maltese of the charges, the jury found that he intentionally or recklessly caused bodily injury, attempted to cause serious bodily injury and threatened to commit a crime of violence with intent to terrorize the victim during an August 2014 incident.

After the jury reached its verdict, Judge Gary S. Silow, who presided over the trial, convicted Maltese of lesser summary charges of harassment and disorderly conduct in connection with the incident.

Maltese could be facing some serious jail time. The Times Herald story states that Maltese faces, “a possible maximum sentence of 13 ½ to 27 years in prison on the charges. However, state sentencing guidelines would allow for less jail time.” He is currently out on bail.

The Times Herald also has details from the police report that explain what went down. Basically Maltese was in his yard with his dog unleashed. The victim rode by on a bike with his dog on a leash. Maltese’s dog ran over to the other dog and they fought. Maltese than approached the bike rider, who he eventually hit and made threats against (including a threat to the dog). Once the police arrived, Maltese was uncooperative.