A Pennsylvania tow truck employee is accused of shooting and killing his manager after the boss allegedly asked him to go out on a call near the end of his shift.
Niko Hostler, 32, has been charged with criminal homicide in the death of 53-year-old Christopher Ashbaugh, according to court records and local reports.
The deadly confrontation happened Wednesday at Oaks Auto & Truck Service in Springdale Township, Pennsylvania.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by WPXI, Hostler’s shift was nearly over when Ashbaugh sent him out on another call. Hostler allegedly wanted to go home, and the request sparked a heated argument between the two coworkers.
Authorities said the situation quickly turned violent.
Hostler allegedly told investigators that Ashbaugh punched him in the face, pushed him, and then took another swing. He claimed he feared for his life because he did not know whether Ashbaugh had a weapon.
Hostler said he then pulled out a gun and fired.
Ashbaugh was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A woman who lives near the business said she heard the fight escalating before gunfire erupted.
“I heard them not talk, so I thought maybe they resolved it, then I heard them again, arguing, yelling, and then I heard ‘pop pop pop pop’ like five times,” Amanda Mattern told KDKA.
She said she then heard the wounded man calling for help.
“I heard the guy that he shot lying on the ground, ‘Help me, help me,’” Mattern said.
Hostler was arrested and is being held in the Allegheny County Jail without bail.
He appeared for a preliminary arraignment on Thursday and is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on June 3.
This moron actually thinks that someone is going to believe that he was afraid for his life, where he probably was the one who escalated the situation? He is so afraid that he pulls the gun out first and shoots the Manager 5 times without even any warning ? Stupid is as stupid does…
Lazy POS will now not need to worry about taking a late run.