The woman shot three times in a Lansford domestic incident in 2014 had to undergo eight surgeries, according to testimony at the trial of the man accused of shooting her.

Dr. Joseph Stirparo, a trauma unit surgeon at the Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest, testified on Tuesday afternoon at the trial of Levi Daniel Zagata.

He said Zagata’s then girlfriend Melissa Price had to undergo eight separate surgeries over a five-day period while recovering from at least three gunshot wounds.

Zagata, 40, went on trial Monday in Carbon County court on charges on criminal attempt — homicide, terroristic threats and two counts of aggravated assault. The criminal attempt and two assault counts are felonies. He is accused of shooting Price during a domestic incident late in the evening of Feb. 22, 2014, in an upstairs bedroom of their home along East Patterson Street.

Stirparo said he attended to Price when she was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital from St. Luke’s Miners Campus, after the shooting that occurred sometime between 10:30 and 11 p.m.

Stirparo said Price was in critical condition when she arrived at the unit and was immediately taken to the code red room, where the most seriously affected patients are taken. He said she was suffering life-threatening injuries and had she not received immediate emergency medical attention, she would have died.

Stirparo described the procedures he performed to keep Price alive and for her recovery. He said she received three times the normal blood replacement of a human during the ordeal. He said the eight surgeries were performed in the month after the shooting.

Expert testimony

Testimony at the second day of the trial centered on expert witnesses.

Michael Fadale, a registered nurse, was one of the crew members of a helicopter that transported Price to the hospital. He said her condition was critical and she was having a hard time breathing and her complexion was pale, indicating internal bleeding. He said he tried to speak to her and her only full response was that “she thought she was going to die.”

John Corrigan, a state trooper who worked in the criminal forensic unit of the Hazleton barracks, was the trooper assigned to process the crime scene. Corrigan, who has since retired, showed various photos of the home as well as a video of each room in the home. The video and pictures showed spent shell casings and bloody pillow sheets and blood stains on floors. He described where he found blood splatters on an outside sidewalk, downstairs and in the master bedroom where the shooting occurred.

During his testimony, Assistant District Attorney Gary F. Dobias, who is the former DA of the county but who retired several years ago and is prosecuting the case, asked Corrigan in his processing work did he find any evidence of a struggle in the bedroom. Corrigan said there were no signs of a struggle, that nothing was knocked over in the room.

There were items on two night tables next to the bed and a dresser that had items on them, but nothing was knocked off any of the furniture. He said if there was a struggle some things would certainly have been knocked over.

Police report

Dobias’ question was apparently prompted by the opening statement of defense attorney Matthew J. Mottola, of the public defender’s office. He indicated that Zagata’s defense was that Price had the gun first and threatened him and he wrestled it from her and it discharged.

Price testified there was no struggle and Zagata had the weapon when she entered the bedroom and he shot her.

Prior testimony and the arrest report charged that Zagata shot Price, 40, three times.

Zagata then shot himself in the face, causing serious injures to his jaw and left eye. He was hospitalized for an extended period of time in a Philadelphia area hospital.

Upon his release he returned home and was formally charged. He then fled the area before he could be arraigned. On May 20, 2015, Lansford police were informed that Zagata had been taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies in Accomack County, Virginia. He was returned to Carbon County after an extradition hearing. He has been in the county jail since being brought back from Virginia.

The initial police report by then Sgt. Jack Soberick, now chief of police, indicated Zagata and Price had been bickering during the day. Then in the evening after Price had put her four children to bed, she entered the bedroom where Zagata was lying on the bed. He then opened fire and shot her three times, causing life-threatening injuries, according to police. Zagata then shot himself.

One of the children heard the gunshots and ran to a neighbor who called police. Zagata also later called police.

When Soberick arrived he found Zagata in downstairs holding a pillow to his face and bleeding profusely. He found Price in the master bedroom on the floor with gunshot wounds but still conscious.

Price and Zagata were both taken to the Coaldale facility and then flown by medical helicopters. Price to LVH and Zagata to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.

The case has been continued at least 18 times, mostly by the defense. The September 2017 scheduled trial was continued because Zagata was suffering headaches from medication he was taking and then in January, the trial date was continued because Zagata was recovering from jaw surgery.

The trial is being held before Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Mottola is being assisted by fellow public defender attorney Jennifer L. Rapa.

The trial is scheduled to resume today at 1:15 p.m. due to another matter Matika must attend to in the morning, not related to the trial.

The trial is expected to finish either Thursday or Friday.