Williamsport, Pa. — A beloved bartender at The Brickyard Restaurant & Ale House was reportedly killed by his cellmate just days after he was sentenced to jail.
Erick Gainer, 41, was sentenced Tuesday to three to six months in the Cumberland County Prison after he crashed his car on Nov. 7, 2024, in Silver Spring Township and was charged with DUI, according to PennLive.
Cumberland County District Attorney Seán M. McCormack announced that criminal homicide charges were filed yesterday against Gainer’s cellmate, Dangelo Nowlin, 33, of Yuba, California.
Nowlin was arrested in the early morning hours of Oct. 22 for an unrelated defiant trespassing incident and was committed to the Cumberland County Prison.
Around 11:52 a.m. on Oct. 22, upon being assigned a cell at the prison, Nowlin entered the cell and allegedly began to physically assault the other occupant of the cell, Gainer.
Gainer was sleeping in the top bunk at the time Nowlin entered the cell, police say.
As a result of his injuries, Gainer was taken to Holy Spirit Hospital where he received emergency surgery to treat the swelling of his brain. Doctors were unable to control the swelling, and Gainer succumbed to his injuries at 6:32 p.m.
Nowlin was arraigned last night before Magisterial District Judge David J. Rogers and is ineligible for bail due to the charges. A preliminary hearing is set in the matter on Nov. 5.
“We are heartbroken to hear about the passing of Erick Gainer, and we are sending love and prayers to his family. Erick was a part of the fabric of Pine Square. We had the privilege of working alongside him for 10 years. He helped build Pine Square, and he will always be remembered as part of our family,” a statement from Brickyard and Stonehouse Wood Fired Pizza & Pasteria read.
They invite friends of Erick to join them for Mug Club Tuesday, Oct. 28 from 4 to 6 p.m.
“We can have a fruity drink or a shot of fire ball in honor of him,” the statement concluded.
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