TERRA ALTA — Three men face felony charges following a violent altercation at a residence in Terra Alta on July 12 that left one man unconscious and another seriously injured.
According to criminal complaints filed in Preston County Magistrate Court, a senior trooper responded to a 911 call regarding a fight on Sanders Street. Upon arrival, the trooper found a man later identified as Timothy Kenneth Zerfoss, 32, of 530 Imperial Way, Falling Waters, lying on the ground with multiple facial lacerations and visible bruising. Witnesses allegedly told the trooper that Zerfoss had been involved in a physical fight with several individuals.
Investigations revealed that Zerfoss had been in a physical altercation with another man identified as JohnPaul Koch, 31, of 105 Sanders St., Terra Alta. Witnesses and victims said Koch punched Zerfoss, causing him to fall to the ground. During the incident, another individual, Stephen Nicholas Auvil, 28, of 308 W. Washington Ave., Terra Alta, allegedly joined in the attack and punched a third victim in the face, knocking him unconscious.
The third suspect was identified as having joined Koch and Auvil in the altercation. Witnesses said this man used a metal jack handle during the fight and struck one of the victims while he was lying on the ground. One victim told police he was kicked in the head by Koch after being dragged into a garage. That victim was later found unconscious and unresponsive, suffering from a severe head injury. EMS workers performed life-saving measures before transporting him to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown for treatment.
All three suspects, Zerfoss, Koch and Auvil, face felony charges in connection to the incident. The case remains under investigation by the West Virginia State Police.
Magistrate Peggy Pase set bond for Zerfoss at $10,000 and for Auvil and Koch at $25,000 each.
