Jul 9, 2014 3 min read

Four people, including two 17-year-old boys, were ordered held for court for their role in an alleged drug deal gone bad inside a New Eagle home.

District Judge Jay Weller ordered the four to stand trial on all the charges they faced with the exception of receiving stolen property following a sometimes contentious hearing as Assistant District Attorney Michael Fagella and Justin Walsh, attorney for one of the suspects, each made several objections during testimony by the witnesses.

Xavier Rodriguez, 17, and Nigel T. Summers, 20, both of Charleroi, are accused of robbing Robert Cox at gunpoint inside his Second Avenue home June 21. The two other suspects, Zachary Cowell, 17, of New Eagle, and Derek J. Lowe, 21, of Charleroi, are accused of helping the two escape.

All four are charged with robbery, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, possession of paraphernalia, conspiracy and firearms violations. Rodriguez and Summers are also charged with theft, aggravated assault and simple assault.

Cox testified that he was at the home where he lives with his aunt and uncle, along with a friend, Tyler Dolanch, when Rodriguez and Summers came to the home along with another acquaintance of Cox’s. Cox admitted to wanting to purchase some marijuana.

The acquaintance abruptly left the residence. When Dolanch left the room to get a drink, Cox said that Rodriguez pulled a gun out of his pocket. Summers stood up and had his hand behind his back as though he also had a weapon, Cox said.

“Rodriguez said we could do it the easty or hard way,” said Cox, adding that Rodriguez twice racked back the slide on the gun. “I gave him the money and they left.”

Cox then went into the kitchen, telling Dolanch he had been robbed. Dolanch got into his car and drove to a nearby convenience store. He testified he saw Summers in the rear seat. When Dolanch yelled at him about the money, the car driven by a man later identified as Lowe, fled out of the parking lot with Dolanch reportedly in pursuit.

Monongahela police Officer Steven Kenyon, who had been monitoring activity at the store after getting a report of a suspicious vehicle, witnessed the two vehicles pull out and followed for several hundred yards before stopping the vehicles. Dolanch told the officer that his friend had been robbed. Cowell and Rodriguez were found in the car along with Summers and Lowe. A weapon, identified by Cox as the one used by Rodriguez, was found on the floor of the front passenger side where Cowell had been sitting in the vehicle.

Weller denied requests by defense attorneys to lower the $100,000 bond for Rodriguez and Summers but agreed to reduce bond to $50,000 for Cowell and Lowe. Cowell’s court-appointed attorney, Renee Colbert, and Fagella told Weller that a decertification hearing is set for Thursday to have Cowell’s case moved to juvenile court.