A Shenango Township girl has been petitioned to Mercer County Juvenile Court for participating in the Dec. 6 brutal baseball bat beating of a West Middlesex man, police said.

The girl, charged with simple assault, reckless endangerment and unsworn falsification to authorities, is the second person to be charged in the beating of Lincoln J. Rombold, 18, police said.

Matthew L. Pumphrey, 18, of 201 Charleston Road, Jefferson Township, was charged with aggravated and simple assault and reckless endangerment. His charges were sent to Mercer County Common Pleas Court after he stipulated at his Jan. 2 preliminary hearing that if witnesses were called, police would be able to implicate him in the crime.

Assistant District Attorney Robert Kochems said he would arraign Pumphrey only on the most serious charge, aggravated assault, in Common Pleas Court, which could pave the way for a plea.

Police gave this account of the incident:

Pumphrey and two girls, the second also from Shenango, drove to Oak Leaf Estates mobile home park. Pumphrey called Rombold on a cellular telephone to say that he was coming.

Pumphrey and the girl charged got out of the van at Oak Leaf Estates. Rombold ran when he saw Pumphrey coming, but Pumphrey caught him and pushed him to the ground.

Pumphrey hit Rombold in the face with the wooden bat, then handed it to the girl, and kicked, punched and choked Rombold.

The girl hit Rombold in the ribs and kicked him.

Witnesses said Pumphrey yelled during the attack about Rombold stealing $450 and checks from Pumphrey's mother.

Pumphrey and the girl got back in the van and drove away -- the other girl was driving -- before police arrived. The van was found at the girls' home.

The girls admitted being with Pumphrey.

Rombold was blinded in the attack, police said. He also suffered hearing loss and other injuries, police said.

Pumphrey also is facing charges of simple assault, reckless endangerment and making terroristic threats in an unrelated case. Jefferson-Clark Regional police said they arrested him for threatening his parents at home Dec. 9.

District Justice Ruth M. French, Mercer, held all charges for court.