Union County attempted homicide case against Daniels moves toward trial

Caleb Daniels’ attempted homicide case moved a step closer to trial in Union County Court after defense attorney Kyle Rude said there were no remaining pretrial issues, clearing the way for a jury to eventually hear the allegations against the 21-year-old Montoursville man.

The case stems from a July 10, 2025, incident at 7:46 a.m. at 7379 West Branch Highway in Kelly Township, where Pennsylvania State Police said Daniels was inside a McDonald’s during a dispute with a woman over their relationship. Investigators said Daniels took the woman’s wallet, got back into his vehicle, then put the car in reverse and ran over the woman’s friend before fleeing the scene. The injured woman was taken to WellSpan Evangelical Hospital and later airlifted to Geisinger Medical Center.

Daniels faces a long list of felony and misdemeanor charges, including attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, reckless endangerment, simple assault, harassment and selling or furnishing liquor to minors. He was arraigned in July 2025 and initially held on $400,000 cash bail.

By January 14, 2026, the case had already moved through one important procedural step. Judge Michael Piecuch granted a continuance so Rude, who practices in Williamsport, could review discovery. That report also said Daniels had been free on $50,000 cash bail after posting through professional surety William Carter Olszewski.

The April 10 update signaled that the defense was prepared to proceed. No new trial date, plea agreement or final resolution was announced, but the court did not identify any unresolved motions or other obstacles that would keep the case from advancing. For Union County, that matters because attempted homicide cases rank among the most serious matters heard in local court, and a move toward trial usually means witness preparation, evidence review and courtroom scheduling are now the next steps.

Union County Court of Common Pleas sits in the 17th Judicial District, a two-county system serving Union and Snyder counties with two judges. As the case moves forward, prosecutors will have to prove Daniels intended to commit homicide and took a substantial step toward that crime. The defense is likely to test whether the state can meet that burden before a jury, making the next phase of the case central to both accountability and public safety in Union County.