Garage owner charged with assaulting TV cameraman

An Upper Darby Township auto-garage owner has been charged with assaulting a television-news cameraman, police said Wednesday.

Peter Kathapoulis, 30, owner of Modern Auto Crafters, allegedly hit Fox 29 cameraman Dave Eizen with a tree branch Tuesday night, and spit in the face of reporter Chris O'Connell.

The two were at the garage doing a story on pothole-damaged cars, and they had the car owner's permission to take a photo of a damaged vehicle, said Police Superintendent Michael J. Chitwood.

According to O'Connell's Facebook page, as the pair were "just out doing our job," Kathapolous tried to rip the camera from Eizen's hands and spit on O'Connell. A spokeswoman said Fox could not comment further.

Kathapoulis, who was released without bail and was back at the garage Wednesday, said Eizen was shooting photographs of other cars without owners' permissions. He also said that when he asked them to leave, Eizen and O'Connell uttered "racial remarks." The Fox spokeswoman said the allegation was "absolutely untrue."

Kathapoulis called the simple assault and harassment charges a "complete joke."

A hearing is scheduled for March 14.