The Bradford Township man charged in the Saturday shooting death of Rebecca Haynes on Jefferson Street admitted to law enforcement that he killed the pregnant 21-year-old, with whom he had “an intimate relationship,” according to police.

Thomas James McElhattan, 42, was arraigned early Sunday before District Judge Richard Luther. He is charged with criminal homicide and aggravated assault, both first-degree felonies; and two counts of recklessly endangering another person, second-degree misdemeanors.

Thomas James McElhattan

Criminal homicide is a non-bailable offense, McKean County District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer noted, and McElhattan was remanded to McKean County Jail.

At approximately 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Bradford City Police were dispatched to 59 Jefferson St. for a reported shooting.

According to the criminal complaint, “a male caller to McKean County 911 stated that he had shot a woman at that location and that he had since left the scene and returned to his residence” at 331 Rutherford Run Road.

City Police Sgt. Matt Gustin and Officer Joshua Frederoski were first to respond at Jefferson Street, discovering the gunshot victim later identified as Haynes deceased inside the residence. Officers proceeded to secure the scene, closing Jefferson Street to traffic.

Bradford City Police and Pennsylvania State Police officers at a crime scene on Jefferson Street.

At the same time, Bradford Township Police Officer Don Neal responded to the Rutherford Run address where McElhattan was reportedly taken into custody without incident.

A 2014 article in The Bradford Era indicated McElhattan was “a career National Guardsman” who served with Company C, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Division, or Charlie Company in Lewis Run. He was quoted in the article saying he deployed to Kosovo in 2003 and Iraq in 2008, along with Hurricane Katrina assistance in 2005.

According to the criminal complaint, “McElhattan is the one who had called 911 and told the 911 operator that he had shot the girl who lives there and identified the incident location as 59 Jefferson St. He admitted to Chief Mike Ward and Chief County Detective Ryan Yingling that he killed Haynes,” whose Facebook page indicates she was an Emporium native.

Rebecca Haynes

The victim’s relatives reportedly informed investigators that Haynes had been pregnant at the time of her death. Further, officers discovered a 1-year-old was inside the residence when the shooting occurred, in danger of also being harmed.

Police report that McElhattan told investigators that he had been caring for Haynes’ infant child and had brought the child to her when an argument ensued. He placed the child in a bedroom, returned to the argument and “ultimately shot Haynes between one and five times,” the complaint states.

Also according to the criminal complaint, evidence that includes recorded statements and interviews with involved parties and witnesses revealed the relationship between McElhattan and Haynes and that they had been involved in an argument leading up to the shooting.

Central Court is scheduled for Thursday.

(Editor’s note: See a related story regarding a GoFundMe organized to support Haynes’ family in Tuesday’s edition and online.)