Hempfield Township man charged with homicide after allegedly catching wife with other man
RESTRICTIONS, WEATHER ADVISORIES, AND SO MUCH MORE. NEW THIS MORNING, OFFICIALS ARE INVESTIGATING A FIRE IN PITTSBURGH’S WEST END NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS BROKE OUT JUST AFTER 230 THIS MORNING ON SOUTH MAIN STREET, AND YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING THERE. INVESTIGATORS ARE WORKING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT STARTED THE FIRE, BUT WE CAN’T TELL YOU. NOBODY WAS INJURED. THREE AFTER SIX IS OUR TIME. 2026 IS HERE. AND DESPITE THE COLD AND SNOW, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD PACKED DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR. THEY SURE DID. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER FELICITY TAYLOR IS IN DOWNTOWN AND HAS A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CITY’S 32ND ANNUAL FIRST NIGHT CELEBRATIONS. HAPPY NEW YEAR, PITTSBURGH. THE CONSTANT SNOW DID NOT PUT A DAMPER ON THE CELEBRATIONS HERE, AND WE MET MANY OUT OF TOWNERS WHO WANTED TO EXPERIENCE A TRUE PITTSBURGH NEW YEAR’S. THEY CERTAINLY GOT IT. THREE TWO ONE. HAPPY NEW. THE SNOW ADDS A LITTLE MAGICAL ELEMENT, I THINK. AND PITTSBURGHERS WE’RE A HARDY BUNCH, SO I’M NOT SURPRISED. WE’RE HAPPY TO BE CELEBRATING WHATEVER THE FORECAST. PITTSBURGHERS SHARING IN THE NEW YEAR’S CHEER. WITH GUESTS ALL THE WAY FROM AUSTRALIA. WELL GOOD DAY PITTSBURGH. WE’RE FROM AUSTRALIA. I HAVE SUPPORTED THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS MY ENTIRE LIFE. I’M 46 AND WE FINALLY CAME HERE TO SEE THEM. AND NOW WE’RE HERE FREEZING IN THE SNOW. SOUTH CAROLINA WE DON’T GET SNOW A LOT BACK AT HOME. SO JUST SEEING THIS, THIS IS THE MOST I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. LIKE BY FAR. AND EVEN VISITORS FROM MARYLAND HERE FOR THE STEELERS GAME. WHAT DO YOU THINK? GOOD, GOOD. IT’S AWESOME BECAUSE IT WAS JUST A FUN FAMILY EVENT. AND WE CAME TO WATCH THE RAVENS PLAYED STEELERS ON THE WEEKEND. BUT THIS IS AWESOME. THE 32ND ANNUAL FIRST NIGHT CELEBRATION SHOWED WHAT THE STEEL CITY HAS TO OFFER IN THE ARTS. THERE WAS LIVE MUSIC, DANCING, JUGGLING, ELABORATE COSTUMES AND ICE SCULPTURES. AND MANY INDOOR OPPORTUNITIES. FAMILY FRIENDLY CRAFTS AND EXPERIENCES, ALONG WITH SHOWS IN MULTIPLE THEATERS. HAPPY NEW YEAR COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY IN DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH, I’M FELICITY TAYLOR, PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. WE HAVE A HEADS UP FOR NEW YEAR’S TODAY. ALLEGHENY COUNTY HAS ANNOUNCED SOME CLOSURES AND ADJUSTED HOURS FOR THE HOLIDAY, SO ALL COUNTY OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED TODAY. COUNTY COURTS WILL ALSO BE CLOSED. THE BOYCE PARK SKI SLOPES WILL BE OPEN ON ADJUSTED HOURS, WEATHER PERMITTING. TODAY, THE SLOPES WILL BE OPEN FROM NOON TO FOUR, THEN 5 TO 9, AND BOTH THE NORTH AND SOUTH PARK ICE RINKS WILL BE OPEN TODAY FROM NOON UNTIL FIVE. WE TURN NOW TO THE LATEST ON THE GUNSHOTS FIRED OUTSIDE THE AMC MOVIE THEATER AT THE SOUTH HILLS VILLAGE MALL EARLIER THIS WEEK. ON TUESDAY. AN 18 YEAR OLD HAS BEEN CHARGED, AND TWO OTHERS ARE ALSO IN CUSTODY FOR THE INCIDENT THAT ALLEGEDLY STEMMED FROM A DISPUTE OVER A CAR. ACCORDING TO THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT, A 16 YEAR OLD WAS ARGUING WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE INSIDE OF A CAR. HE THEN WALKED AWAY AND PUNCHED THE SIDE MIRROR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. POLICE SAY THE DRIVER OF THAT OTHER CAR TOLD THE TEEN HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGE, AND THAT’S WHEN THE TWO OF THEM GOT INTO A FIGHT. POLICE SAY ELIJAH BROWN THEN FIRED TWO SHOTS, THE BULLETS HITTING THE OUTSIDE OF THAT MOVIE THEATER. THE GROUP THEN DROVE OFF. POLICE SAY IN A STOLEN CAR TRAVELING THROUGH MULTIPLE SOUTH HILLS NEIGHBORHOODS. THE CAR EVENTUALLY CRASHED IN. THE SUSPECT TRIED TO RUN. THREE PEOPLE WERE THEN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. BROWN IS CHARGED WITH ASSAULT AND OTHER GUN CHARGES. SO FAR, NO OTHER CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED IN THAT CASE. NOW TO THE CITY’S BELTZHOOVER NEIGHBORHOOD, WHERE A POSTAL CARRIER REPORTED BEING ROBBED YESTERDAY MORNING. POLICE AT THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE CONFIRMING IT HAPPENED AROUND 945 ON CLIMAX STREET. NOBODY WAS INJURED, AND IT’S UNCLEAR AT THIS POINT WHAT WAS TAKEN. SO POLICE AND USPS ARE CONTINUING WITH THEIR INVESTIGATION. 607 IS OUR TIME. THE FORMER POLICE SERGEANT AT THE CENTER OF THIS VIDEO, ACCUSED OF PUSHING A MAN AT AN ELLWOOD CITY SHEETZ OVER THE SUMMER, HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO A LESSER CHARGE. ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS, ROBERT MAGNIFICO PLEADED GUILTY TO A SUMMARY OFFENSE OF HARASSMENT. MEANWHILE, CHARGES OF ASSAULT, OPPRESSION AND OTHERS WERE DROPPED. NOW TO EAST HUNTINGTON TOWNSHIP, WESTMORELAND COUNTY, WHERE A HOUSE FIRE BURNED FOR NEARLY FIVE HOURS YESTERDAY MORNING. IT EVEN REIGNITED HOURS LATER, FIREFIGHTERS ON SCENE TOLD PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR HOARDING CONDITIONS MADE IT HARD TO REACH THE FLAMES IN MULTIPLE PARTS OF THE HOME. WE SPOKE TO A NEIGHBOR SHARING CONCERN FOR THE HOMEOWNER. I’VE KNOWN HIM FOR TWO YEARS, AND THEY’RE THEY’RE GREAT PEOPLE. SHE’S ALWAYS VOLUNTEERING. I JUST FELT FELT BAD. I MEAN, THEY’RE THEY’RE WONDERFUL PEOPLE. THEY GIVE YOU THE SHIRT OFF THEIR BACK. FIRE OFFICIALS SAY EVERYONE INSIDE DID MAKE IT OUT SAFELY, BUT THE HOME A TOTAL LOSS. AN INVESTIGATION IS NOW UNDERWAY. MEANWHILE, ANOTHER DESTRUCTIVE FIRE YESTERDAY IN WESTMORELAND COUNTY. THIS ONE IN THE LAWRENCEVILLE AREA OF UNITY TOWNSHIP. THE LLOYDSVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT SHARING THESE PICTURES OF THAT HOUSE FIRE ON VILLAGE ROAD. YOU CAN SEE THE BUILDING COMPLETELY ENGULFED. OUR NEWS PARTNERS AT THE TRIB REPORT, FOUR PEOPLE ESCAPED THE HOME SAFELY AFTER A NEIGHBOR CALLED 911. A STATE POLICE FIRE MARSHAL IS INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE. AND THEN IN ALIQUIPPA, BEAVER COUNTY, TWO WOMEN ESCAPED A KITCHEN FIRE. UNINJURED. CREWS RESPONDED TO FRANKLIN AVENUE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. THEY WERE ABLE TO CONTAIN THE DAMAGE TO THE KITCHEN AREA AND SURROUNDING PARTS OF THE HOUSE. PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER HAS ANNOUNCED THE PUBLICATION WILL BE SHUTTING DOWN OPERATIONS. ACCORDING TO OUR NEWS PARTNERS AT THE TRIB, SOME STAFF MEMBERS POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT THE NEWS OUTLET WAS CLOSING AFTER 34 YEARS. IN A STATEMENT TO THE TRIB, THE PAPER’S OWNER, BLOCK COMMUNICATIONS, WRITES, QUOTE, THE CITY PAPER BUSINESS MODEL HAS NOT REACHED A LEVEL OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE THAT ALLOWS BLOCK COMMUNICATIONS TO CONTINUE OPERATING IT RESPONSIBLY. THE PITTSBURGH CITY PAPERS LAST ISSUE WAS PUBLISHED EARLIER THIS MONTH, AND ITS
Hempfield Township man charged with homicide after allegedly catching wife with other man
Updated: 1:51 PM EST Jan 1, 2026
A man is behind bars after being accused of fatally shooting another man multiple times on New Year’s Eve. This happened at a home on Hugh Street in Hempfield Township just before 8:30 p.m.Video above: Pittsburgh’s top headlines for Jan. 1, 2026Robert Naugle, 30, is charged with criminal homicide after state police say he called authorities and told them he had killed James Thomas.According to Naugle’s criminal complaint, he called Westmoreland County 911. Police say Naugle told them “I walked in on my wife with another man, and I killed him.” State Police in Greensburg also believe Naugle used a Glock 19 pistol to shoot Thomas. One was taken from the home along with multiple shell casings. PSP Greensburg arrived to the home after that call and took Naugle into custody without incident. Thomas’ body was found in the basement with multiple gun shot wounds. Emily Naugle, Robert’s wife, told authorities that her husband had filed for divorce in November of this year. Robert moved out, according to Emily, two days prior to Thomas’ death at the Hugh Street home. Emily described Thomas as a friend to state police. She told troopers that Robert walked through the door and shot Thomas multiple times. After Robert was taken into custody, he was interviewed. He allegedly admitted to shooting Thomas multiple times with the Glock 19. Police say Robert told them that he had arranged to come over to the house on Hugh Street. Emily then canceled those plans, but Robert came over any way. That’s when he allegedly found Thomas with Emily. Authorities believe Robert shot Thomas ten times Wednesday night. Robert Naugle is charged with criminal homicide. State police in Greensburg are investigating.
HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. —
A man is behind bars after being accused of fatally shooting another man multiple times on New Year’s Eve.
This happened at a home on Hugh Street in Hempfield Township just before 8:30 p.m.
Video above: Pittsburgh’s top headlines for Jan. 1, 2026
Robert Naugle, 30, is charged with criminal homicide after state police say he called authorities and told them he had killed James Thomas.
According to Naugle’s criminal complaint, he called Westmoreland County 911. Police say Naugle told them “I walked in on my wife with another man, and I killed him.”
State Police in Greensburg also believe Naugle used a Glock 19 pistol to shoot Thomas. One was taken from the home along with multiple shell casings.
PSP Greensburg arrived to the home after that call and took Naugle into custody without incident. Thomas’ body was found in the basement with multiple gun shot wounds.
Emily Naugle, Robert’s wife, told authorities that her husband had filed for divorce in November of this year. Robert moved out, according to Emily, two days prior to Thomas’ death at the Hugh Street home.
Emily described Thomas as a friend to state police. She told troopers that Robert walked through the door and shot Thomas multiple times. After Robert was taken into custody, he was interviewed. He allegedly admitted to shooting Thomas multiple times with the Glock 19.
Police say Robert told them that he had arranged to come over to the house on Hugh Street. Emily then canceled those plans, but Robert came over any way. That’s when he allegedly found Thomas with Emily.
Authorities believe Robert shot Thomas ten times Wednesday night.
Robert Naugle is charged with criminal homicide. State police in Greensburg are investigating.