Suspects held for court in robbery case
Donte Warner, with his attorney, Renee Colbert, and a constable, leaves district court following his preliminary hearing Thursday.
A constable escorts Jaron Satterwhite following his preliminary hearing Thursday.
CHARLEROI – Two suspects in an incident in which a gun allegedly was held to the head of a 6-year-old boy last month in North Charleroi were ordered to stand trial Thursday following a preliminary hearing.
Jaron Satterwhite, 22, of Homestead, who witnesses said threatened to kill the boy, was ordered held on charges including aggravated assault, robbery, reckless endangerment, carrying a firearm without a license, receiving stolen property in the form of a handgun and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Donte Warner, 23, of Pittsburgh, was ordered held on charges of robbery, receiving stolen property and illegal possession of a firearm.
The third man arrested in the case, Derek Scott Sapp, 27, of North Charleroi, waived charges of drug possession with intent to deliver, drug possession, flight and possession of drug paraphernalia and testified against Satterwhite and Warner in the preliminary hearing held before District Judge Larry Hopkins.
The incident occurred about 4:45 p.m. April 21, when police were dispatched to 715 Monongahela St. for a call that a child was being held at gunpoint.
The three men had fled by the time police arrived.
Satterwhite was apprehended by police while walking in the 500 block of Monongahela Street about 20 minutes after police were dispatched. Police said he was in possession of 21 empty heroin stamp bags.
Police used a helicopter and a local firefighter’s drone to search for Warner, who was found in a field with a cellphone belonging to one of the alleged victims.
Sapp was taken into custody in an alley near Route 88 and Liberty Avenue, allegedly in possession of a satchel filled with about 1 1/2 pounds of marijuana.
Sapp and two other people who were inside the home testified Thursday that Satterwhite grabbed the boy, aimed a 9mm handgun at his head and at people inside the home, and said he would shoot the boy.
Andy Bruner, who leased the home and said he is a music producer, said he had never met Satterwhite or Warner, but had talked to Warner on the phone a few times and had arranged to meet with him to talk about recording music.
He said he didn’t know Satterwhite was going to accompany Warner that day but had no reason to believe they posed any danger.
He played some music for Warner, and then, Bruner said, “It all happened very fast.”
Eric Weaver, a friend of Bruner’s, was inside the home and said, “We were listening to music and it went south.”
He described Satterwhite and Warner taking wallets and cellphones, and said Satterwhite told them he was going to kill the child unless everyone cooperated. Weaver said there was “an opportunity to get the guy with the gun,” so he and others jumped on Satterwhite.
Weaver said he ended up with the gun and threw it in the woods.
Sapp, who claims he did not know Satterwhite or Warner, said he was at the house painting a kitchen for Bruner when he “heard a commotion” and looked up to see Satterwhite holding onto the boy.
According to Sapp, Satterwhite ordered everyone in the house to lie on the ground, while Satterwhite and Warner discussed duct-taping everyone and searching the house for marijuana.
Sapp said he became engaged in a fight with Warner while the others were subduing Satterwhite. He suffered an eye injury. Sapp testified he was instructed to take the bag filled with marijuana to his home.
Bruner said Weaver’s testimony was accurate, but he disputed Sapp’s claim about the marijuana.
Attorneys for Satterwhite and Warner asked for all charges to be dismissed.
“He was there to discuss music,” said Renee Colbert, who represents Warner.
She contended all charges should be dropped against Warner, especially the charge of illegal possession of a firearm, since there is no evidence he had a gun.
Satterwhite, Warner and Sapp remain in Washington County Jail on $1 million bonds. All three are scheduled for formal arraignment Aug. 18.