Man charged after woman is shot in leg

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- City police say a suicidal man shot a woman in the leg and kept her hostage for about four hours. Donald L. Lewis, 52, of Grimes Street is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. He is being held at the Lawrence County Jail after failing to post $50,000 bond.
Police said Lewis pointed a gun at a 24-year-old woman around 7 a.m. Monday and demanded money she owed him. Police said he shot the woman in the right leg when she did not return with the money.
Lewis refused to let the woman leave the house for the next four hours and threatened to kill himself. Police said at one point during the morning, Lewis had a knife against his throat and tried to force the woman to cut him. The woman went to the bathroom and escaped out a window, police said, adding that when they arrested Lewis they found a suicide note in the kitchen.