About 30 Peaceful Marchers, believing in their 1st Ammendment right to protest, gathered outside the courthouse chanting their call for Justice! Hearings for three in Shenandoah beating interrupted briefly by Latino demonstrators in Pottsville
Chanting by demonstrators from Latino groups temporarily interrupted hearings this morning in the Schuylkill County Courthouse for three Shenandoah teenagers accused in the fatal beating of a Mexican national. About 30 demonstrators were outside the courthouse in Pottsville, but their chanting could be heard inside the courthouse and the hearings were stopped. Sheriff's officials went outside and spoke to the demonstrators, who stopped their chants. Prosecutors say the defendants and another teen who has been charged as a juvenile kicked and punched Luis Ramirez into a coma on West Lloyd Street on July 12.Ramirez lived mostly in Shenandoah since he entered the U.S. illegally six years ago. According to prosecutors: The defendants, some of whom had been drinking, began the confrontation by taunting Ramirez with racial slurs.They continued to yell ethnic insults during the attack and kept beating Ramirez after he was unconscious.Ramirez died two days later in Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.Brandon Piekarsky, 16, and Colin Walsh, 17, were charged with homicide, ethnic intimidation and other offenses. Derrick Donchak, 18, was charged with aggravated assault, ethnic intimidation and other offenses.Charges are pending in juvenile court against another 17-year-old from Shenandoah.
Read the Timeline of Event from the Warrant (From Previous Article) More Updates Posted HERE as the hearing continues.
TRUTH COMES OUT DURING HEARING!!!
Pa. teen testifies at hearing in immigrant killingA Pennsylvania
teenager has testified against two friends charged in the beating death of a Mexican immigrant in a small Pennsylvania town. Seventeen-year-old Ben Lawson is a football player at Shenandoah Valley High School. He says 17-year-old Colin Walsh sucker-punched Luis Ramirez and 16-year-old Brandon Piekarsky kicked the victim in the head while he was down. Prosecutors charged Walsh and Piekarsky in the illegal immigrant's death and say they also shouted racial slurs at the victim. A third suspect is charged with aggravated assault. A judge is deciding if there is enough evidence against the three to send the case to trial.
Ramirez was attacked July 12 when he crossed paths with a group of teens in the town of Shenandoah, about 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Testifying in a low, mumbly voice, (football player) Ben Lawson said he had been drinking malt liquor in the woods with Walsh, Piekarsky, Donchak and other friends a few hours before the attack. He said he drank two 40-ounce bottles and was intoxicated. Lawson, 17, said the group encountered Ramirez, 25, and a teenage girl in a park. He said another teen, Brian Scully, goaded the girl, saying, "Isn't it a little late for you to be out?"
Ramirez replied in a threatening manner in Spanish. Scully began yelling racial slurs at Ramirez and a fight ensued, Lawson said. He said Ramirez was fighting with Donchak when Walsh ran up and (sucker) punched him in the face. Ramirez fell to the ground and hit his head on the macadam, leaving him unconscious, after which Piekarsky kicked him in the head (fatal blow), Lawson said. The following day, he said, the group met at Piekarsky's house and hatched a plan to lie to police about what happened. "We made up a plan that we we're going to tell the cops that nobody kicked him, that there were no racial slurs, there was no booze, and Brian got hit first," Lawson said.
3 Pa. teens ordered to trial in immigrant's death
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM – 19 minutes ago
POTTSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A judge has ordered three teenagers to stand trial on charges related to the beating death of a Mexican immigrant in a small eastern Pennsylvania town. A judge in Pottsville said Monday that prosecutors have enough evidence to try 17-year-old Colin Walsh and 16-year-old Brandon Piekarsky on counts of third-degree murder and ethnic intimidation. Eighteen-year-old Derrick Donchak has been ordered to stand trial on aggravated assault, ethnic intimidation and other offenses. Luis Ramirez was attacked July 12 when he crossed paths with a group of teens in the town of Shenandoah, about 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia. All three defendants were football players at Shenandoah Valley High School.
Also testifying was Elizabeth Schlack of Shenandoah. She said she heard noise and looked out her window. From about 80 feet away, she said, she saw three people kicking a man on the ground. The kicking went on for about two minutes, she said.