PORT CARBON - Three people charged in connection with a July 22 attempted homicide in Minersville had their preliminary hearings continued Tuesday after a court-appointed interpreter was unable to attend at the scheduled time.
Warren Lewis Frey, 24, of 211 Laurel St., Minersville; Ashley Capiga, who lists an address as 39 Schuylkill Ave., Shenandoah; and Robert Franklin Willie III, 25, of 217 Lewis St., Minersville, were scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko for their role in the attack of migrant worker Ezequiel Zavala Pantoja, Klingerstown, during the early morning hours of July 22 at a home at 215 Laurel St., Minersville.
The hearing was continued at the request of assistant district attorney Robert M. Reedy who said a court-ordered interpreter for Pantoja was detained at a court proceeding in Dauphin County.
Reedy said the interpreter could not be back in Port Carbon until later in the afternoon.
The interpreter is needed because Pantoja only speaks Spanish.
Plachko granted the continuance request and said he will reschedule the hearing without delay. Although no date was selected, the judge said he hopes to have a new date and time, possibly as soon as the end of this week.
Frey and Willie are charged with 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, terroristic threats, possessing instruments of crime, theft and conspiracy to commit theft.
Capiga is charged with robbery, conspiracy, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
All three were returned to Schuylkill County Prison where they are being held, unable to post bail set at the time of their arraignments.
Frey and Willie attacked Pantoja at knifepoint while he slept in a third floor bedroom at 215 Laurel St.
According to the criminal complaint, 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.
Officers interviewed Kimberly Leal, the owner of the home, who said her son, Frey, had stayed there with his girlfriend, Capiga. A guest, Pantoja, 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 interviewed Pantoja at Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street and learned he was sleeping when he was awoken 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 who was 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, police said.
While the men were assaulting Pantoja, police said Capiga allegedly stole about $2,200 in cash from his pants that were lying 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.
At the scene police said officers found saw a bed and 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.
No weapon could be found, police said.
Pantoja was released from Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street, Pottsville, the following day after being treated for 13 lacerations to the scalp with 36 staples, police said.