Lansdale man sentenced to probation for pistol-whipping teen outside Oakwood Gardens

A Lansdale man was sentenced to probation for pistol-whipping a teenager outside Oakwood Gardens during the St. Stan's Carnival last summer.

As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, Aaron Simpson-Harris Jr., 20, was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of simple assault. Criminal charges of aggravated assault and not carrying a firearm without a license, as well as misdemeanor charges of harassment, possession of an instrument of crime, reckless endangerment, possession of a controlled substance and related offenses were dropped in exchange for Simpson-Harris. plea, according to court records.

Sentencing notes state Simpson-Harris is not allowed to have contact with the victim and was also ordered to stay away from the Saint Stan's Carnival.

“The court has made an individualized assessment and determines that the conditions imposed herein are necessary and constitute the least restrictive means available to promote the rehabilitation of the defendant and the protection of the public,” reads part of the determination notes pain.

According to court documents, Lansdale Borough Police were dispatched to the 400 block of East Third Street at 9:14 p.m. on August 11, 2023 for reports of a fight in progress as well as a report of a man carrying gun. When they arrived, police spoke with Aaron Simpson-Harris Jr., 19, who told police that someone had been pistol-whipped and ran toward Penndale Middle School, police said.

The report states that police observed bloodstains on Simpson-Harris' white hoodie, but Simpson-Harris reportedly claimed the blood dripped onto his shirt after his friend had a seizure on the ground.

A week later, a minor victim came forward, saying she had been pistol-whipped during a large fight that took place outside the Oakwood Park Apartments. The victim told police she was with friends when a group of about 10 people approached her, including a man matching Simpson-Harris' description, who pointed a gun on the victim and told her, “Don't make me use that,” according to charging documents.

Simpson-Harris then allegedly struck the victim in the side of the head with his handgun, police said, causing an open wound with significant bleeding.

The victim then selected Simpson-Harris from a lineup of photos, saying she was 80 percent sure they were the same person, police said. The report also says a witness later came forward, providing a description that matched what Simpson-Harris was wearing when he spoke to police the night of the fight.

On August 31, 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Simpson-Harris' home along the 200 block of East Third Street and allegedly located a 9mm ghost gun with a flashlight and laser tied up in Simpson-Harris' bedroom, police said. Police also located various quantities of psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the bedroom, according to the complaint.

As a result of the investigation, Simpson-Harris was charged with aggravated assault with extreme indifference and firearms not to be carried without a license, as well as misdemeanor counts of common assault, possession of an instrument of crime, reckless endangerment and possession of a controlled substance.

The assault was the second such incident in three years to occur at Oakwood Gardens while the Saint Stan Summer Festival was taking place.

On August 10, 2021, Marquis Smith, then 16, of Lansdale, pistol-whipped a man outside the apartment complex who was walking home from the festival with his girlfriend. The victim suffered an orbital fracture, head trauma, facial laceration, facial contusion and multiple abrasions as a result of the assault, ultimately leading to Smith being charged as an adult.

Smith pleaded guilty to the assault in June 2023 and was sentenced to 2 to 4 years in state prison.

A second teen – Terhan Wright, then 17, of Lansdale – was also charged as an adult in connection with the 2021 assault, and investigators said there were other suspects minors involved, but they could not identify them.

Asked about the August 2023 assault, police said it was unclear whether the group of 10 people including Simpson-Harris were coming or going to the summer festival, while leaving open the possibility that the group was just hanging out in Oakwood. Gardens before the alleged incident.

Police said two juvenile suspects were also arrested in connection with the August 2023 assault, but information about those arrests has not been made public.

There is no connection between the suspects and the victim between the 2021 incident and the one that occurred in August 2023, according to police.