Motions hearings are scheduled today for two of the three defendants charged in a robbery at an IUP residence hall last November.
20-year-old Almando Rodriguez of Philadelphia and 19-year-old Luke Erath of McKees Rocks are accused along with 19-year-old Jeremiah Jones of Turtle Creek of robbing Patrick Callabro of fifty dollars and marijuana at Wallwork Hall. Police say another student had arranged for the purchase of two ounces of pot from Callabro, but when the deal was going down, the three suspects entered the room. Jones is accused of pushing Callabro against a wall, poking a gun barrel into his chest, and demanding money. The gun, it turned out, was a BB gun.
Judge William Martin will hear arguments from the attorneys in support of omnibus pretrial motions filed on behalf of Rodriguez and Erath. Both cite inconsistencies in witness statements when compared to police accounts of the robbery, and the level of involvement both men had in the events of that night.
All three defendants are scheduled for Criminal Call next week.
