Man who jumped from cruiser gets state prison term

Jonathan Amon

An Oil City man who led police on a chase in late May after jumping out of a cruiser was sentenced this week to a state prison stay.

Erie County Senior Judge John Bozza ordered 29-year-old Jonathan Amon to serve a minimum of one year and a maximum of four years in state prison on a felony charge of escape.

Amon pleaded guilty to the third-degree felony as part of a plea bargain in early September.

Amon was arrested by Oil City police on May 29 following a domestic dispute on Willis Street and was charged with disorderly conduct.

On the way to the Venango County jail, Amon became agitated, tore his clothes, smeared fecal matter on himself and managed to smash a rear window out of the cruiser, police said.

Amon, naked and handcuffed, then jumped out the window and ran down Otter Street to 11th Street in Franklin until officers were able to recapture him following a chase.

As part of his sentence, Amon will be required to pay Oil City $240.22 in restitution.

Bozza also sentenced Amon to serve a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years in state prison on a misdemeanor count of terroristic threats.

After being arraigned on May 29 at the Venango County jail via video by district judge Patrick Lowrey, a criminal complaint said Amon made verbal threats against Lowrey’s life because of the bail amount Lowrey set for Amon.

That term will run consecutively with the penalty imposed against Amon, meaning he could serve anywhere from two to seven years in prison.

On the disorderly conduct charge, Bozza sentenced Amon to a minimum of three months and a maximum of one year in state prison. That sentence will run concurrently with the other two prison terms.

Amon was given credit for 192 days he had already served in the Venango County jail.