East Bethlehem wife to stand trial
The wife of the man shot and killed in a recent attempted home invasion in West Pike Run Township waived her right to a preliminary hearing on robbery charges Tuesday and will stand trial.
Bobbi Sue West, 30, of 748 Crawford Road, East Bethlehem Township, was charged by state police Jan. 22 with robbery in the Dec. 28 attempted home invasion at 93 McGirts Road that left her husband, Robert J. West, dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
West appeared before District Judge Curtis Thompson and waived to court two counts of robbery. One count of robbery and a conspiracy charge were withdrawn. She was arrested in Bellaire, Ohio, Jan. 27 while visiting an acquaintance and returned to Washington County.
State police said West drove her husband and Andrew Graseck, 18, of Carmichaels, to the camper on McGirts Road where Nicholas Dziyak lived, knowing their intention of beating him and stealing money and valuables. West dropped off the two men near the property, and they walked to the camper wearing masks and wielding wooden ax handles, police said.
West drove away and planned to return with the car once the two men called her to be picked up after the robbery, police said. Dziyak came outside, at which time he was attacked, police said. Dziyak fired several shots, striking Robert West, 42, in the head. Police said Graseck ran to a neighboring home to call for help.
Bobbi West had an application downloaded on her cellphone that allowed her to monitor the police scanner. She fled from the area and returned home after she heard that someone was shot and killed.
Graseck is being held in Washington County jail on $50,000 bond while awaiting trial on charges of robbery, aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment and harassment. Dziyak, 74, was hospitalized. He was in the courtroom Tuesday.
In addition to the withdrawal of the two charges, West’s bond was modified from $50,000 to a percentage bond.
“The court will go along with the modification of bond since the victim expressed that he is fine with it,” Thompson told West. “But the court is putting on a stipulation that the accused contact Trooper (Joseph) Timms biweekly.”
West’s defense attorney, Robert Perkins, told Thompson his client has no prior record. She is also not to leave the state. Her family told Thompson they would go the Washington County clerk of courts to post her bond. West was released from jail just before 6 p.m. Tuesday.
West will be formally arraigned on the charges April 21.