Uniontown man held for court on homicide charges
A Uniontown man will stand trial on homicide and related charges for allegedly firing a fatal shot at a man during a robbery staged as a drug deal.
Arsuan Lee Patterson, 19, was held for court on all charges after a preliminary hearing Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Michael Metros.
He allegedly shot Jordan Mapstone, 24, of Brownsville once in the chest Feb. 26 outside a Dunlap Street residence. Mapstone was rushed to Uniontown Hospital, where he later died.
Police allege Keli Marie Brumley, 18, of Brownsville orchestrated the drug deal as a way to rob Trisa Stickle, Mapstone’s girlfriend. Brumley is awaiting trial on charges of criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit robbery and reckless endangerment.
Stickle, 25, of Brownsville, testified she texted Brumley because Mapstone wanted to purchase Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication. The women arranged a meeting on Dunlap Street near Pershing Court in Uniontown, but Brumley never appeared.
“I think I text her and asked what was going on, and she said she was counting pills,” Stickle testified.
Patterson, who Stickle did not know, came to her car instead and asked Mapstone if he wanted to buy “lean,” or cough syrup with codeine. Stickle said Patterson gave Mapstone a bottle she believed was Robitussin without the added narcotic.
A few minutes later, Patterson returned – this time with a gun, she said.
“He had a gun sideways in my window, and said, ‘N—, give me all your money,” Stickle said.
Mapstone immediately told her to “go,” and she accelerated with Patterson’s hand inside the car. One shot was fired, she said.
“I just heard this very loud ringing and my car was filled with white smoke,” she said.
“He said, ‘Babe, I got hit. I got hit,'” she said with tears rolling down her cheeks as several family members began to cry simultaneously. “That was it.”
She “floored” the vehicle all the way to Uniontown Hospital, where Mapstone was rushed in for surgery. He died that night.
District Attorney Rich Bower read from a death certificate that Mapstone died from a single gunshot wound that caused lethal injuries to both his lungs.
Stickle said she and Mapstone were both unarmed.
Patterson’s private attorney, Dianne H. Zerega, asked Stickle if she received any benefit for her testimony. Bower objected to the question, but Stickle answered anyway.
“No, I didn’t. I did it because I love Jordan, and it’s not fair,” she said.
Patterson is charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, prohibited possession of a firearm and two counts of robbery.
Both Patterson and Brumley are lodged in Fayette County Prison in lieu of bond. Brumley will turn 19 in prison Thursday.