PENN TWP — A Penn Township man has been charged with multiple counts of assault and other charges, after police say he attacked his neighbor with a rusty hatchet and a stun gun Wednesday afternoon.

Police say Ronald A. Postreich, 70, of 150 Morgan Road, was wearing a Halloween mask at about 3 p.m. Wednesday, when he attacked Russell Callenberg in the front yard of Callenberg’s home at 146 Morgan Road, while he was mowing his lawn.

Police say Postreich hit Callenberg from behind twice with a rusty hatchet while he was on a riding lawn mower, causing blunt force injuries to his back, shoulder and head before Callenberg wrestled the hatchet away from him.

Postreich then pulled out a stun gun, according to court documents, and tried to shock Callenberg, who managed to pull off the assailant’s mask and recognized Postreich, who then fled.

Police said that when they responded to a 911 call by Callenberg they found the Halloween mask in his yard, near the riding mower, and later found a rusty hatchet with a hammer on one side of its blade at Postreich’s house.

Penn Township Police Sgt. Cheryl Cranmer, who is leading the department’s investigation into the attack, said the two men have an acrimonious relationship that stretches back a year or more, but a motive behind the attack was unclear.

She said Postreich has denied carrying out the assault.

According to online court documents Postreich is in Butler County Prison on $75,000 monetary bond.

He has been charged with four counts of felony aggravated assault, four counts of misdemeanor simple assault, and one misdemeanor count each of possessing instruments of crime, prohibited offensive weapons, and criminal trespass.