Easton Police: Man Brandished 14-Inch Knife

An Easton man is accused of threatening another man with a prohibited offensive weapon – a 14-inch knife with a jagged-edge blade and brass knuckles in the handle, according to court records.

Police later spotted the suspect not far from the alleged incident early Saturday in the city’s West Ward. He was intoxicated and staggering across a street, and they found the weapon after he threw it on the ground, the records say.

Alexis Orta, 29, of 830 Wolf Ave., Apt./Suite 2 was charged with simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, prohibited offensive weapons and public drunkenness.

According to the records, police responded to the 1100 block of Butler Street around12:35am for a report of an assault with a knife. A man said he was walking on the 900 block of Washington Street when a male later identified as Orta ran up behind him with the large knife. Orta began to raise the knife and aimed it toward the man as if ready to attack him.

About 45 minutes later, officers spotted Orta staggering across the 300 block of S. 9thSt. They also saw him throw the knife on the ground. The man was brought to where Orta had been stopped and identified him as the man who tried to attack him.

Orta was arraigned about four hours after he was stopped by on-duty District Judge Douglas Schlegel of Wind Gap. He was committed to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $20,000 bail.