MINERSVILLE - The last of three people wanted in connection with a robbery and attempted homicide last month in the borough surrendered to authorities Saturday morning.
After being processed at the Minersville police station, Robert F. Willie III, 25, of 1201 Walnut St., Ashland, was arraigned on charges of criminal attempt to commit criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit criminal homicide, aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, receiving stolen property, conspiracy to commit receiving stolen property, simple assault, conspiracy to commit simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, conspiracy to commit recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, possessing instruments of crime, theft by unlawful taking and conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking.
Willie was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison, unable to post $250,000 straight cash bail.
Six days before, on Aug. 4, Ashley Capiga who was also wanted in connection with the assault and robbery of migrant worker Ezequiel Zavala Pantoja, Klingerstown, during the early morning hours July 22 at a home at 215 Laurel St., Minersville, was taken into custody by Shenandoah police.
Capiga, 24, of 39 Schuylkill Ave., Shenandoah, was jailed after being arraigned on charges of robbery, conspiracy, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property and was unable to post $50,000 straight cash bail set by on-call Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg.
The third person who police say was responsible for the attack was taken into custody without incident the day after, on July 23.
Warren Lewis Frey, 24, of 211 Laurel St., Minersville, was taken into custody and jailed after being arraigned on charges of criminal attempt to commit criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit criminal homicide, aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, receiving stolen property, conspiracy to receive stolen property, simple assault, conspiracy to commit simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, conspiracy to commit recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, possessing instruments of crime, theft by unlawful taking and conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking.
Minersville police said Pantoja was attacked at knifepoint by Frey and Willie while he was sleeping in a third-floor bedroom at the 215 Laurel St. home.
Police said officers were called to the home at 2:46 a.m. and found Pantoja sitting on the living room couch bleeding heavily from the top of his head. At the time, police said officers could not interview the man because he didn't speak English.
Officers interviewed Kimberly Leal, the owner of the home, who said her son, Frey, had stayed there with his girlfriend, Capiga.
A guest, Pantoja, whom Minersville police Chief Michael Combs described as being in his 30s, was also staying at Leal's home.
Leal told police that Frey and Capiga threatened to rob Pantoja and added that before the incident, Frey asked Pantoja to borrow $20 and the man opened his wallet, which held a large amount of money, and gave the $20 to Frey.
Police said officers later interviewed Pantoja at Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street and learned he was sleeping when he was awakened by two men brandishing knives and a woman demanding money.
Pantoja said he knew the one man and identified him as Frey, while the other was wearing a black ski mask. Police later identified him as Willie.
Since Pantoja refused to give them money, both began stabbing him in the head, leaving heavy lacerations on his scalp.
While the men were assaulting Pantoja, Capiga allegedly stole about $2,200 in cash from Pantoja's pants that were on the floor next to the bed.
The three then fled down the stairs to the second floor and went out a bathroom window, while Pantoja stumbled down the stairs to the first floor to alert Leal.
"Warren and the girl did this to me," Pantoja told Leal in Spanish, according to the criminal complaint filed by police.
At the scene, police said officers saw the bed had a heavily blood-stained pillow along with blood smeared on the mattress, a large number of blood droplets on the floor, bloody handprints on the walls from the third-floor bedroom to the second story hallway and a blood trail on the steps but no weapon could be found.
Pantoja was released from Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street on July 23 after being treated for 13 lacerations to the scalp with 36 staples.
All three will now have to appear for preliminary hearings before Plachko in his Port Carbon courtroom.