Police Say Man Assaulted Stranger in Line for Tacos

A State College man is facing charges after allegedly head-butting and punching a stranger who was standing in line outside a downtown restaurant.

According to a criminal complaint, a State College Police officer was on patrol at 2:05 a.m. on May 12 when he observed a group of males yelling at each other as they walked near Penn Towers on East Beaver Avenue. The officer then saw one of the men, Jeremy M. Smida, 22, punch another in the head.

After the officer stopped the two men, a female approached and said Smida had just head-butted her friend while they were in front of Yallah Taco on McAllister Alley. The friend had a large laceration near his right eye and was going to the emergency room for treatment.

Police said Smida was intoxicated and when asked why he attacked the man he had no answer.

At the emergency room, the man told police that he and his friends were standing in line waiting to order food when Smida approached him. According to the complaint, he said Smida grabbed him with both hands, head-butted him and punched him. The head-butt reportedly caused a wound with profuse bleeding.

The man told police he didn’t know Smida and that no words were exchanged.

Three friends who were with the man in line and at the hospital also told police that they were standing in line when Smida walked up to the man and head-butted and punched him for no reason.

Smida was charged with misdemeanor simple assault and summary counts of harassment and public drunkenness. He was arraigned via summons on Friday by District Judge Steven Lachman. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 14.