A Palmerton man has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend’s father with a knife in Bowmanstown Saturday night.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Trooper Matthew Treible of the Pennsylvania State Police, Lehighton barracks, in the case against Marcellous McCants:

At 10:35 p.m., PSP Lehighton was dispatched to an apartment in the 700 block of Oak Street, and saw McCants, 20, outside of the residence in the parking lot.

McCants was placed in the back of Treible’s patrol vehicle. EMS was already on scene and treating the male victim, who was in the ambulance at the time.

The man told police he was arguing with McCants about rent and that a fight broke out between them.

During the fight, the victim was stabbed by an unknown object.

During Treible’s interview with the victim, he had a bandage over his head covering the wound.

The victim was transported to St. Luke’s Carbon Campus, where he was treated for a cut on the left side of the victim’s head. Police described the injury as “a significant gash.”

McCants’ girlfriend, who is the daughter of the victim, said that McCants followed her into the hallway and they observed her dad and his girlfriend arguing, and at some point during the argument, her dad’s attention was turned toward her and McCants.

McCants and his girlfriend’s dad began to fight physically, and that both were throwing “haymakers” at each other and her dad suffered a laceration to his head.

In the apartment, police found blood on a paper towel on the coffee table, as well as blood spatter on the kitchen floor and the carpet eventually leading into the bathroom.

There was a significant amount of blood in the bathroom sink and on towels, police said.

A knife was found in the bedroom.

Police described the weapon as a silver folding utility knife that had a razor blade inside of it.

McCants told police that his girlfriend’s dad went after his girlfriend physically, and he told his girlfriend’s dad to get off her.

His girlfriend’s dad then turned his attention toward McCants and went after him, McCants said.

In the struggle, McCants said he then grabbed his knife and started swinging blindly, ending up finding purchase to his girlfriend’s dad’s head causing injury.

McCants faces charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, and possessing instrument of crime with intent.

He is currently free in lieu of $10,000 unsecured bail, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing May 27 before District Judge William J. Kissner of Palmerton.