Three Schuylkill County men and a Schuylkill County woman face felony trespass charges after police found them living inside a condemned Minersville school building on Friday morning.
Minersville police have charged Joseph Sanchez Jr., 24, of Pottsville; Lance Haluska, 55, of Minersville; Stacey Hutsko, 52, of Minersville; and Kevin Wenner, 45, of Pottsville, with one third-degree felony count each of criminal trespass.
A fifth person, Tiara Kelly, 39 and homeless, was found with Wenner, according to police. She was wanted on an active warrant from Schuylkill County Detectives.
Officers executed a search warrant at approximately 8 a.m. on Sept. 18 at 510 N. Second St., a commercial property containing the former St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. Police obtained the warrant on Sept. 17 from Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli following a complaint from Borough Code Enforcement Officer Kyle Crouse.
Code enforcement reported receiving information on Sept. 2 that several people were residing inside the building.
In addition, police say that the structures have had no active water or electrical service since January 2020, when the property was first condemned. Code enforcement reposted condemned notices on multiple occasions, most recently on June 23, 2025.
Upon searching the property alongside the Schuylkill County Sheriff’s Department, officers first checked the church structure and found no occupants. Officers then entered the school building, where they contacted Sanchez.
Sanchez admitted to sleeping inside the school the night before and told officers that his uncle and his uncle’s girlfriend were sleeping on the second floor, according to police.
On the second floor of the school’s west side, officers located Haluska and Hutsko in a room equipped with a mattress and box spring for overnight accommodations. On the east side, officers located Wenner and another woman in a second room set up for sleeping.
Throughout the building, officers observed buckets filled with urine and feces, as well as buckets of rainwater collected from modified gutters on the church building. Police say they believe the individuals had been staying inside the property for several months to avoid detection by law enforcement.
All four defendants were arraigned on Sept. 18 before Judge Christian Lengel, who set bail at $5,000 monetary for each. None of the four posted bail and all were remanded to Schuylkill County Prison.
Preliminary hearings before Magisterial District Judge Edward Lewis are scheduled for Oct. 27.
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