Except for the barking dogs, it is quiet on the cul de sac in the 600 block of South Avenue, parallel to the U.S. Route 219 bypass in Bradford Township.

Children are riding bicycles outside. Neighbors are venturing out of their houses. It seems like any other summer day.

And it would be, in most neighborhoods. But here, neighbors are cautious about being outside, alleging they live in fear of one man, Richard Yovichin II, 59, of 662 South Ave.

However, a week ago today, Yovichin was arrested by Bradford Township Police for an alleged violation of his probation. Since then, folks have been resting a little easier. As of Monday, Yovichin was still held in McKean County Jail.

His attorney, John Thomas, said he had no comment on Monday, hours after an Erie television station was in town for a follow-up on the neighborhood’s mail situation.

In April, when the U.S. Postal Service stopped delivering mail to the neighborhood because of alleged threatening behavior by Yovichin toward the mail carrier, the accused himself spoke to The Era. Yovichin said no one had anything to fear from him. And his attorney said Yovichin denied any wrongdoing.

Bradford Township Police Chief Robb Shipman said Monday that when McKean County Adult Probation was planning to take Yovichin into custody, township officers made the arrest “due to a possible situation.” However, he said, Yovichin “spoke to us peacefully and was very calm.”

Since Yovichin’s arrest, neighbors have raised concerns over his many animals on the property — beagles that he raises, along with pigs and goats, a peacock and rabbits. He has a small pet dog, too. Shipman said there is someone visiting the property to care for the animals, and that a family member will be coming to stay there soon.

“We’ve been trying to give them some leeway to make decisions to get the animals taken care of,” Shipman said. As for the hours of barking, the chief asked the neighbors to be patient.

“The animals are being fed and watered and sheltered,” he said. “In the short-term, we have to deal with the dogs barking.”

A longer-term solution is in the works, he said.

And as for the mail situation, it still isn’t resolved.

Broderick Newman, a neighbor, said, “We are still no closer to knowing what’s going on with the mail situation. We have to go down to the municipal building to get our mail.”

There is no regular delivery time, so neighbors find themselves checking back several times a day to see if it has arrived.

The Postal Service didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Newman and neighbor Dave Durolak were interviewed in the televised piece on Erie News Now on Monday. Both spoke about their sense of calm knowing Yovichin was jailed.

“The neighborhood’s been great. Everybody’s been great. Everybody has smiles on their faces,” Durolak told them.

Newman told The Era, “It’s one man continually victimizing a whole neighborhood. We are happy the wheels of justice are showing some results.”

Earlier this year, Yovichin was convicted on charges of recklessly endangering another person and propulsion of missiles onto roadway, and was sentenced in May to 18 months of probation.

Court documents filed at the time he was first charged indicated that Yovichin, who was living at 662 South Ave., shot a rifle from his driveway toward residences and property directly across the road. Security camera footage allegedly showed Yovichin carrying a long gun and pointing it toward U.S. Route 219 and toward houses across the street, and multiple witnesses reported hearing and/or seeing shots being fired.

Conditions of the probationary sentence include Yovichin being prohibited from contact with victims or witnesses in the case. The current allegations of a probation violation involve Yovichin allegedly harassing a neighbor who was a witness in that case.

A second case against Yovichin — also for allegations of harassing conduct toward neighbors — is still pending in the McKean County Court of Common Pleas.

The second case was filed shortly after the first, and he faces 21 counts including stalking, terroristic threats, retaliation against a witness or victim, disorderly conduct, harassment and criminal mischief.

According to the criminal complaint filed in the second case, Yovichin is accused of action including pointing a gun at a neighbor, sounding a game call at neighbors, shining a laser or light at neighbors, piling snow at the end of his driveway so high neighbors could not see to pull out, making a gun with his fingers, painting things on snow banks facing neighbors’ homes and growling at neighbor children.

Yovichin, through his attorney, has filed an appeal of his conviction in the first case.