LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — A New Jersey man is facing charges of assault after allegedly stealing the cremated remains of a dead person.
According to the Manheim Township Police Department, Peter George McGuinness, 57, from Milford, NJ was charged with robbery and simple assault following a police investigation.
Officers responded to the 300 block of Squire Lane and found a victim who was suffering from facial and arm injuries. The victim reported that McGuinness, alongside a group of people, was banging on the victim's back door. Because the victim knew a member of the group, they were allowed into the victim's home.
According to police reports, initial interactions were cordial.
While inside the living room, McGuinness asked what the victim was going to do with their deceased spouse's ashes. The victim reportedly told McGuiness that they had not made a decision yet.
McGuiness said that he was going to take the spouse's ashes and punched the victim in the face, knocking them to the ground. The victim reportedly tried to get up when McGuinness allegedly kicked them in the side three times.
McGuiness was allegedly yelling and asking where the ashes were located inside the home. When the victim revealed the location, a witness went and retrieved them.
The victim heard the witness unload the gun, which was near the door, before the group left the home. The ammunition was found on the countertop, but the magazine was not located.
A criminal complaint was filed on Dec. 27, 2023. He was arrested, processed and taken to Lancaster County Prison.
