NORRISTOWN — Montgomery County authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a Lansdale man wanted on charges he allegedly used a brick to brutally beat and attempt to kill a man during an altercation at a gathering of friends in Hatfield Township.
Joshua Ryan Ronan, 30, of the 100 block of East Main Street, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possessing an instrument of crime in connection with the alleged 11:11 p.m. Nov. 5 assault of Mark Christopher Miller, 41, during a gathering of friends at a residence in the 1200 block of Cabin Road in Hatfield.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Hatfield Police Chief William Tierney announced the filing of charges and the warrant for Ronan’s arrest on Thursday afternoon.
Steele cautioned that if anyone sees Ronan, they should not approach him and should call 911. Ronan is described as a white male, with blond hair and is 6-feet tall and weighs 185 pounds.
The district attorney’s office is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to Ronan’s apprehension. Anyone with tips about the whereabouts of Ronan should call Montgomery County detectives at 610-226-5553 or Hatfield police at 215-855-0903.
The investigation began when Hatfield police were dispatched to the Cabin Road residence for a report of an overdose, according to a criminal complaint filed by county Detective Anthony Caso and Hatfield Township Detective Ryan Saunders.
First responders found Miller unresponsive on the stone driveway of the residence.
“Miller had obvious signs of blunt force trauma to his head and was bleeding from his head,” Caso and Saunders wrote in the arrest affidavit.
Believing that Miller may be suffering from an overdose, first responders administered Narcan and he was transported to Grandview Hospital for treatment. Miller was treated for blunt force trauma to the head, including missing teeth, numerous broken facial bones, a fractured scapula and bi-lateral bleeds on his brain, according to court papers.
“Miller was completely unresponsive and continuously audibly moaned while being treated but was unable to speak and answer questions,” Caso and Saunders alleged.
A trauma surgeon described Miller’s injuries as “life-threatening” and told police it would be a few days until medical officials would know if Miller could survive the injuries.
Detectives said they found junk and bricks in the area of the driveway “that could have been used in the assault of Miller.”
The investigation determined that Miller and Ronan were at the residence that night visiting friends when they got into an argument in the driveway of the house.
When others at the gathering were made aware of the altercation, they went outside to investigate. Outside, they found Ronan standing over an unresponsive Miller, who was bleeding from his head and face, and Ronan with blood on his shirt and they called 911, according to court papers.
Ronan departed the residence prior to police arriving.
When detectives searched a Toyota Tacoma vehicle in which Ronan left the scene, they found a “red brick wrapped in a red balaclava” or face mask. The brick was located on the rear passenger side floor where Ronan had been sitting at the time he was transported by others from the scene of the alleged assault, according to court documents.
“This would be consistent with the mechanism of injuries sustained by the victim,” Caso and Saunders alleged.
Court documents alleged Ronan has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2014 that included arrests for theft, drug possession, simple assault and strangulation and DUI for which he spent brief stints in jail.
