Nov 6, 2013 3 min read

The California University of Pennsylvania student accused of using a plastic toy handgun to rob two fellow students in their dorm room last month was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on all charges.

Khari Hicks, 18, of Pittsburgh was held for trial on multiple counts of robbery, theft, reckless endangerment, simple assault, possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance after his preliminary hearing.

District Judge Larry Hopkins set a $100,000 straight bond for Hicks after he had been held without bail at Washington County jail since his arrest Oct. 30.

Wearing shackles and an orange prison suit, Hicks shivered and looked confused at times while three witnesses, including the two students who were allegedly robbed at gunpoint, testified during the hour-long preliminary hearing. Several of his relatives came to the hearing to show support for the teen.

William Walker and Andrew Stenken testified that Hicks pointed a small handgun at them in their Residence B dorm suite about 10:20 a.m. Oct. 30 and robbed them of $250.

Walker, who is a freshman, testified that Hicks came into their suite looking for a phone charger before leaving. He came back a few minutes later and asked to go into Stenken’s room on one of side of the suite. After a brief time, Walker sensed a problem and testified he found Hicks holding a small, black gun to Stenken’s head while the college sophomore was sleeping in bed.

“I was scared,” Walker said. “I didn’t know what was going to happen. I just stood against the wall. He had a gun.”

Stenken testified he awoke to Hicks bumping a backpack against his face in an effort to wake him. He saw the barrel of the gun pointed at him and became startled.

“I was pretty shocked,” he said, “I wasn’t expecting my day to go like that.”

The two students testified Hicks went over to the dresser and took $250 before leaving. They later spoke to other students in the dorm and were able to identify him before going to campus police.

Hicks was found about an hour later near his Johnson Hall dorm after the robbery and Cal U. police Detective Michael Hampe said they searched his dorm. They found a toy gun that resembled a .380-caliber Kel-Tec pistol in his drawer and four stamp bags of heroin in his backpack. However, they did not recover the $250 in stolen money, Hampe said.

Defense attorney Jeremy Davis said the use of a toy gun meant no one was in real danger and questioned why the money was never found. He also asked Hopkins for a “reasonable bond” for his client.

“A plastic gun is not going to place … someone in danger,” Davis said.

Assistant District Attorney John Paul Lewis disputed the fact that a toy gun made a difference in the robbery.

“Thank God it wasn’t a real gun,” he said. “The witnesses and the victims did not know it wasn’t a real gun.”

A formal arraignment on the charges was not immediately scheduled. Hicks remains in Washington County jail.