3 charged, 1 arrested after brawl at off-campus party in Altoona
ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — An off-campus party turned into a near-deadly medical event after a fight concluded with the victim needing CPR.
Carlos Ortega, 21, of Salix, along with Maliek K. Paul, 22, and Suncire M. Flemmings, 20, both of Johnstown, have been charged with burglary, aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats, reckless endangerment and lesser charges after the incident at Nittany Point in Logan Township.
According to a criminal complaint, police were called to Nittany Point around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Jan. 26, regarding a large fight and someone being in cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, the victim had a faint pulse and he was taken to UPMC Altoona.
Security at the student housing community said three Black males with dreads, one with blonde tips, were causing issues and had been asked to leave, the complaint reads. The trio then allegedly started to threaten security, yelling at them while beating on the security vehicle.
Witnesses said they attacked one of the people at the party who refused to let them in and then ran from the scene and got into an Audi and drove away.
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Through the investigation, police said they learned from witnesses and video that the three showed up at the party and were asked to leave before coming back an hour later. According to charging documents, Paul and Flemmings allegedly grabbed the victim from the doorway of the third-floor apartment and threw them down a set of stairs then began kicking them in the head while Ortega stopped others from rushing to their aid.
Ortega was identified and questioned and claimed he was there with his cousins but wasn't with them at the time the fight happened. Footage from security cameras and partygoers showed otherwise.
The victim was released from UPMC and able to speak to police at his apartment, saying that he remembered being grabbed by one of the men like a bear hug, then waking up in the hospital.
Investigators noted they were able to track down their identities using their database and the Facebook profiles of the suspects. Flemming allegedly had a social media picture of himself at Nittany Pointe wearing the clothes witnesses described from that night.According to court documents, Ortega was arrested and placed in Blair County Prison Tuesday, Mach 11, with bail set at $50,000. Paul and Flemings have been charged, but not arrested as of this writing.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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