MOUNT CARMEL - Two Mount Carmel residents charged in the Oct. 9 strong-arm robbery of a Marion Heights woman waived their cases to county court Wednesday afternoon during preliminary hearings before Magisterial District Judge Hugh Jones.
Robert Warren Powers, 27, of 339 E. Seventh St., and Vanessa Ann Steigerwalt, 23, of 443 W. Third St., were ordered to appear for plea court Dec. 3 at Northumberland County Courthouse in Sunbury, where they can plead guilty or no contest, or seek a trial by pleading not guilty.
Both defendants, who had their arms and legs shackled, were under constant supervision by state Constables Larry Rompallo, Glenn Masser and Patrick Reynolds during their legal proceedings.
Powers was represented by Northumberland County Conflicts Counselor Michael Seward, while Steigerwalt's attorney was Northumberland County Public Defender Paige Rosini.
The defendants and their attorneys declined comment after the hearings.
Powers, who was released from state prison in New Jersey three months ago after serving three years for burglary, and Steigerwalt, 23, were charged Oct. 16 by Mount Carmel Township Patrolman David Stamets Jr. and Chief of Police Brian Hollenbush with felonies of criminal conspiracy to commit robbery with force, robbery with force and flight to avoid apprehension, and misdemeanors of theft, receiving stolen property and simple assault, and a summary of harassment. Steigerwalt, who gave police conflicting statements about the robbery and initially denied her involvement in the crimes, also was charged with misdemeanors of unsworn falsification to authorities and making false reports to police.
They were each recommitted by Jones to Northumberland County Prison in Sunbury in lieu of $150,000 cash bail, which was the same amount set at their arraignments.
They are accused of robbing Lisa Beury, 53, of 142 E. Melrose St., Marion Heights, on her front porch when Beury arrived home at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 9 after cashing a $500 Lottery ticket at Boyer's Food Market. Beury was allegedly knocked to the ground by Powers during the robbery and had her purse stolen.
Powers then ran east on Melrose Street, north on Brunswick Street and east on Coal Street, where he entered a vehicle operated by Steigerwalt before fleeing the scene, police allege.
Police reported Powers discarded Beury's purse along Route 54 between the co-generation plant at Marion Heights and Turkey Hill Minit Market in Strong. Police said Powers stole only $50; he failed to notice the remainder of the money from the Lottery ticket was contained in a side pocket of the purse, police said.
Powers also threw away a green hoodie he was wearing at the time of the robbery, according to police, who later located the sweatshirt near a playground in Strong.
Police said Steigerwalt, who has no prior criminal record, was taken into custody at Boyer's Food Market, where she was employed. She moved to Mount Carmel in January from Sellersville in Bucks County.
Powers, who is from Camden, N.J., was apprehended in the 200 block of East Seventh Street, about a block away from his home.