Hearings postponed for Fayette pair charged in Rostraver robbery
BELLE VERNON – Hearings were postponed Monday for a Fayette County man and woman who are charged with robbing a convenience store in Rostraver Township early April 4 and considered to be suspects in as many as nine other similar cases.
District Judge Charles Christner said Westmoreland County jail delivered to his courtroom in Rostraver Richard Bell for the hearing that was scheduled for Charles Bell, 50, of Brownsville, in connection with the robbery of an Exxon store at Route 201 and Interstate 70.
Christner said he considered requesting a deputy county sheriff bring the right Bell to his courtroom, but decided against it after determining Charles Bell didn’t apply for a public defender to represent him in court.
“These charges are so serious that I cannot let this proceed without representation,” Christner said.
The hearing for Bell’s alleged co-conspirator, Wendy J. Victor, 22, of McClellandtown, was also postponed because Christner ordered her to undergo a mental health evaluation before facing the courtroom.
Rostraver police arrested Bell and Victor in a local strip mall parking lot April 7 while he was driving the same car that was seen in surveillance video of yet another robbery in the township.
Bell was charged by Rostraver police with robbery with the threat of serious injury, attempted robbery, terroristic threats, simple assault, receiving stolen property, aggravated assault, attempted assault, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment and fleeing or attempting to elude police. He remained Monday in jail on $500,000 bond.
Victor was jailed on $100,000 bond on conspiracy charges.
Charleroi Regional police on April 11 filed similar charges against them in connection with an April 4 robbery at Charleroi Sunoco at McKean Avenue and First Street.
Meanwhile, Bentleyville police have said the pair also would be facing charges in connection with a March 23 holdup at a Burger King on Wilson Road in Bentleyville. The suspect in that case entered the store with an Uzi-style weapon that was shown in at least one other case.
Investigators have said Bell and Victor were suspects in other robberies in Washington and North Belle Vernon and Allegheny and Fayette counties.
Bell and Victor are due to appear before District Judge Larry Hopkins at 9 a.m. Thursday in connection with the Charleroi case.
Christner rescheduled their preliminary hearings in the Rostraver case for 9:15 a.m. May 16.