Fulton (WSYR-TV) -- Police are glad two men accused of committing a series of crimes to feed a drug habit are finally off the streets of Oswego County.
Police charged Peter Maliszewski, 40, of Canastota, and Joseph Fetkiw Jr., 35, of Fulton, on numerous felonies ranging from robbery to grand larceny. Police say the men often worked together, but also committed crimes by themselves.
Fulton’s Joe Barbera wasn’t expecting visitors when he suddenly heard a noise one day in March.
“I heard somebody come in my house, so I shut the vacuum off and I walked out. He had a bat and started beating me with a bat,” Barbera said.
Barbera says Peter Maliszewski had stopped at his house once before with a cousin, demanding money to pay for a cab. Barbera claims he agreed to cover the bill and was given a gun to hold until he was reimbursed. But Maliszewski returned and Barbera says he wanted the gun.
"He says I am going to beat your head in and I'm gonna smash every friggin thing in this house," Barbera recalled. "So he kept it up, kept beating me with a bat and I just kept blocking the blows so I didn't get hit right directly in the head with it. I got hit in the neck and sides and arms and all over. "
Barbera wasn't the only target. Police say Maliszewski's crime spree included robbery, burglary and assault across the city of Fulton.
Court records show his main motivation was getting high. One confession says: "We have been smoking bath salts for a few days. The brand name is Disco. This is a very addictive drug. If you don't have it, you fiend for it. We had run out."
So-called bath salts are designer drugs, often produced with new chemical combinations that the Federal government hasn't made illegal yet. They're easy to get and they're addictive, creating a nightmare for law enforcement.
Joe says part of his cabinet was smashed, even his little dog was kicked trying to protect his owner. Barbera knows Maliszewski is behind bars now, but he's still afraid.
"I didn't go hardly out of the house because I didn't know where this guy was,” Barbera told NewsChannel 9. “I don’t feel safe here.”
Maliszewski, who is facing multiple charges, will remain in jail. While bail was set for a few of the counts, a judge decided not to set bail on several felony charges.
Joseph Fetkiw Jr. did not attack Barbera, but police say he joined Maliszewski for other crimes across the city. Fetkiw also told police he was feeding a drug habit. One deposition signed by Fetkiw regarding a stolen van reads:
"I was with Peter Maliszewski. I have known him for years. Both of us have substance abuse issues. We needed money to support our drug habit."
People would not comment on the motive behind the crime spree. Fetkiw was sent to the Public Safety Center on $20,000 cash bail.
