Columbia Falls teen faces weapons charge

A Columbia Falls man is awaiting trial on an assault with a weapon charge after being released from the Flathead County Detention Center on his own recognizance Dec. 19.

Nicholas Steven Moskaloff, 18, was charged with a single count of assault with a weapon stemming from a Nov. 19 incident in which he allegedly pointed a firearm at a man in Hungry Horse.

According to charging documents, Moskaloff was a passenger, along with Katlyn Paul, inside a vehicle being driven in Hungry Horse by Trey Bergman when Bergman stopped the vehicle next to pedestrian Thomas Bell. Bell told law enforcement he had been in a conversation with Bergman when he hear the sound of a round being chambering in a firearm and looked over to see Moskaloff pointing a handgun at him. Bell stated that he ran away as the vehicle sped off.

When law enforcement located the vehicle and confronted the three inside, Moskaloff and Bergman ignored commands to stay where they were and made a run for it. Moskaloff was detained and a black handgun was found in his waistband when he was searched.

When questioned, Paul admitted she had seen Moskaloff point the handgun at Bell.

Moskaloff’s bail had initially been set at $100,000 Nov. 26.

In the charging document, it is stated that law enforcement believe the handgun was one of sever firearms stolen from Columbia Falls residences in the days before Moskaloff’s offense and that multiple firearms were in plain view inside the vehicle at the time of the incident that matched descriptions given by burglary victims.

No additional charges have been filed at this time.

Trial on the assault with a weapon charge is set to begin April 6.