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Baez

WEST HAZLETON — A convenient store customer bit off part of a man’s ear after the man allegedly became unruly and tried to strangle him with a belt.

Borough police were summoned to Pantry Quik at 16 N. Broad St around midnight on Monday for a reported assault.

Responding officers found a male in the parking lot bleeding profusely from his partially severed ear.

An officer approached employees who had locked themselves inside the store as a second officer attempted to render first aid to the injured male, later identified as Samuel Baez Jr., 38, of West Hazleton.

Baez became agitated and began screaming profanities and threats while attempting to force his way into Pantry Quik before being subdued by officers.

During the course of an investigation, officers learned that Baez had entered the store around 11:45 p.m. Sunday and was involved in a confrontation with a patron, police said.

While trying to remove the male from inside the store, a female employee was shoved multiple times. Baez allegedly grabbed the female employee, and a second patron intervened, pulling Baez outside the store by his shirt.

With the tussle spilling into the parking lot, Baez allegedly took off his belt and attacked the patron, striking him numerous times in his head and torso with the belt. The scuffle continued, with Baez eventually wrapping his belt around the patron’s neck. In an attempt to escape, the patron grabbed Baez by his head and bit his ear, police said.

Baez screamed profanities and pledged to return to the store to kill people and to start a war, police allege.

Baez faces two counts each of terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another, simple assault and harassment, and one count each of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. He was taken into custody after being released from medical care and arraigned before District Judge Diana Malast in Plains Township.

Unable to post $10,000 bail, Baez was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility to await a preliminary hearing.

West Hazleton Police were assisted by officers from the Salisbury Township Police Department in Lehigh County while taking Baez into custody.