The man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend on Friday came before a district judge to face charges on Sunday afternoon.
Just past 3:40 p.m., on-call District Judge Mick Petrucci preliminarily arraigned Trevor Christopher Weigel, 23, of Northampton Township’s Churchville section, on charges of criminal homicide, burglary, possession of an instrument of crime with intent, disorderly conduct, and harassment.
At the request of Bucks County Deputy District Attorney A.J. Garabedian, Petrucci denied bail due to the homicide charge.
Weigel is accused of killing Jaden Kylie Battista, 19, who was from Bristol Township’s Croydon section. He stabbed her to death at the condo complex where she had been living in Lower Makefield Township.
While fleeing the attack, Weigel began stabbing himself, leading to life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
Due to Weigel remaining in St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown Township as he recovers, Petrucci held the preliminary arraignment via FaceTime from the courthouse in Newtown Borough. The defendant was under the guard of law enforcement at the hospital.
A reporter from this news organization was present for the arraignment and witnessed as Weigel appeared to realize the serious charges he was facing.
With his voice breaking, Weigel asked, “I did that?”
“She was so perfect,” he said. “Why would I do that?”
Detectives in the hospital room advised Weigel to listen to the judge as the charges were read.
With medical equipment hooked up and visible wounds to his neck, Weigel took part in the arraignment. At times, he was having problems recalling information.
“I want to see my mom,” he said before the end of the arraignment.
According to court papers, officers responding to a 9-1-1 call reporting a possible burglary at 2:22 p.m. on Friday found Weigel in the act of stabbing 19-year-old Jaden Kylie Battista in the area of Waterford Road in the Brook Stone condo complex off Township Line Road.
As officers rushed in, Weigel fled the scene, stabbing himself numerous times.
While officers tended to Battista, a patrol sergeant chased down Weigel to nearby I-295, where he was struck by a Taser and arrested, police said.
Battista was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital and pronounced dead.
Weigel was transported to St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown Township with serious injuries. He underwent surgery Friday evening.
In court papers filed on Sunday afternoon, Lower Makefield Township police and the Bucks County Detectives wrote that Weigel was caught on body camera footage saying that he “lost it” on Battista over a domestic issue.
Investigators said Battista was on a FaceTime call with a friend leading up to the stabbing and reported Weigel had unexpectedly showed up at her grandmother’s home. She reported he was banging on the door, attempting to get in, and then entered through a first-floor window.
“[The friend] then heard a commotion, followed by a thump. [The friend] then said that Battista’s voice became muffled as if someone was holding their hand over her mouth,” authorities said.
The FaceTime call disconnected and the friend couldn’t get back in touch with Battista, police said.
An official said the friend ended up calling authorities, leading to the police response to the scene.
On Saturday, an autopsy on Battista was performed and found she died of multiple stab wounds, court papers stated.
The deputy district attorney on the case said Sunday that Battista was stabbed in the heart and neck.
Jeanie Millward, Battista’s mom, expressed shock on Saturday about the crime that took her daughter’s life.
In a comment, she said of Weigel: “He took my reason for breathing. My entire life. He took my daughter from my husband and I, he took my other daughters’ sister. I want to look him in the eye and let him know the reality of what he’s done to our family and I want him to live with it every second of every day. I hope she haunts him.”
Battista had been residing in the Lower Makefield Township complex with her grandmother.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
