RAINELLE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Rainelle man has been charged following a reported domestic incident that escalated into a possible hostage situation on Thursday morning, September 25.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Greenbrier County, law enforcement was dispatched around 10:05 a.m. after authorities received a call reporting a disturbance at a residence on 11th Street.
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The call came after a woman told dispatchers her daughter had contacted her, claiming that her husband, identified as 27-year-old Pete Joseph Palko of Rainelle, was armed with a gun and had taken her child inside the home.
Troopers were later informed that the woman and her child had managed to leave the residence and were waiting nearby. When law enforcement arrived, the victim showed signs of physical injuries, including bruising and abrasions.
The victim reported that she and Palko had gotten into an altercation during which he struck her. She also told officers that Palko hit her vehicle, forcibly took her child from it, and carried the child inside the residence.
When she tried to follow, Palko allegedly retrieved a pistol, held it to his head, and threatened to kill himself. The victim said she pleaded with him to allow her to leave with the child.
Palko eventually agreed, and she fled the home with her child, later telling authorities she feared for their safety throughout the ordeal.
Troopers, assisted by the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office, made contact with Palko and placed him under arrest.
Palko was charged with domestic battery and domestic assault. He is currently at Southern Regional Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond.
