Judge Sentences Man to County Prison for 4th Fest Assault

Centre County President Judge Thomas Kistler sentenced Christopher Paul Stout to 90 days to 23½ months in county prison for his role in a July 4th attack.

Stout was found guilty Sept. 13 of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment. His brother, Charles Stout, and a third defendant, Joshua Carovinci, were also charged for the incident.

The following is how authorities say the incident unfolded:

After the fireworks at 4th Fest in State College in 2012, the victim and his family were trying to exit a parking lot near Beaver Stadium when Carovinci and the Stout brothers walked across the street in front of him.

Charles Stout stopped in front of his vehicle, refused to move, and leaned on the victim’s truck. The victim rolled down his window and asked the defendants to move out of the way. The defendants refused, approached his window, threatened and goaded him to get out of the car and fight.

While Carovinci kicked the victim’s truck and spit in the victim’s face through the window, Christopher Stout taunted and growled at the victim’s 12-year-old daughter in the back seat. After this incident, the defendants fled on foot and the victim exited his car and followed to get their names.

When the victim approached the defendants, they pushed him to the ground and all three defendants began physically beating the victim, punching and kicking him in the head, neck and body. The victim tried to get up and was again pushed back down to the ground where all three defendants continued to kick and punch him. A family member of the Stout brothers broke up the attack.

While the victim stood and talked to the family member, trying to retrieve the defendants’ names, Christopher Stout came at him again with a closed fist and punched the victim in the neck.

When the defendants decided to leave, Christopher Stout attempted to cover up the license plate on his car with a t-shirt before the three drove off, fleeing the wrong way on a one-way street.

The victim was able to identify the registration number on one of the two vehicles the defendants fled in.

The victim suffered a broken wrist, multiple bruises, and abrasions to his body and neck from the attack.

Christopher Stout had prior convictions including drug possession, false reports to law enforcement, theft, DUI and fleeing or attempting to elude police.

District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller said in a prepared statement, “Fourth Fest is a wonderful family event in Centre County. Unfortunately this victim had the misfortune of encountering a family focused on fighting rather than fireworks.”

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