Three teenagers face felony robbery and burglary charges following a violent armed home invasion at a Pottsville apartment last week, during which victims were held at gunpoint and one woman was physically assaulted, police say.
Two suspects are in custody, while police hold an active arrest warrant for a third.
Joshua Brevett, 19, of Mahanoy City, and Julian Chapman, 17, of Saint Clair, face multiple felony charges, including robbery, burglary, and conspiracy. Court records show Brevett was denied bail on Wednesday by Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker and is being held at Schuylkill County Prison. Chapman was released the same day after posting bond on $100,000 bail.
Police are actively searching for 18-year-old Coleby Dimitri, of Mount Carmel, who faces identical felony robbery and burglary charges, alongside charges of terroristic threats, simple assault, and theft.
The alleged incident occurred the afternoon of May 7 at an apartment inside 512 N. Centre St. A female victim told police she was inside doing another woman’s nails when Chapman arrived. Four other people were in the apartment at the time.
Witnesses reported that Chapman appeared anxious and on edge, texting constantly on his phone. Surveillance footage placed Chapman exiting a white Dodge Caliber outside the building shortly before entering, Pottsville police say.
Shortly after going upstairs, Chapman allegedly announced he was going to let someone else inside to hang out and went downstairs to the front door.
After Chapman left the room, a male victim went to answer a knock at the door. Victims upstairs told police they heard a loud thud as the male victim was thrown to the floor. Moments later, three masked individuals rushed into the upstairs bedroom.
A witness told police she recognized the three intruders from previous social interactions, identifying them as Chapman, Dimitri, and Brevett despite their black ski masks. She told police Brevett pulled his mask down at one point, exposing his face.
Police say Dimitri pointed a small black handgun at the victims, while Brevett brandished a large silver handgun. The suspects ordered everyone to sit on the edge of the bed and “empty your f***ing pockets.” At one point, witnesses allege Dimitri pressed his handgun against the tip of the female victim’s nose and repeated the demand.
While the other victims emptied their pockets, the female victim threw about $5 on the floor but concealed her cell phone. When Dimitri directly asked for the phone, she replied, “I’m not giving it to you.”
Following her refusal, police say Dimitri and Chapman made hand gestures to one another. Dimitri and Brevett then forced all the victims downstairs, leaving only Chapman and the female victim alone in the upstairs bedroom.
Chapman began searching the room for things to steal while continuously pressing the woman for her phone, witnesses told police. When the woman yelled and became confrontational, Chapman called downstairs for Dimitri.
Witnesses say Dimitri ran back upstairs, grabbed the woman by her jacket, slammed her to the ground, and stated, “give me your f***ing phone, do you want to f***ing die.” He then allegedly threw her onto a bed, shook her, and pointed a gun at her head while demanding the phone. According to statements provided to police, Dimitri then pulled the woman by her legs to the edge of the bed and attempted to pull down her leggings.
The assault was interrupted when Brevett entered the room, telling Dimitri to stop touching the woman and stating, “get the f**k off of her, we’re not f***ing doing this,” according to witness statements.
The three suspects then fled the apartment. At 7:53 p.m., the female victim sent a social media message to a friend stating, “We just got robbed.”
Police say the suspects stole a long, AR-style rifle, a PlayStation 5, clothing, money, and multiple silver-colored bags of marijuana from a bedroom closet. The items were stockpiled in a loft area and loaded into a backpack worn by Chapman. Surveillance footage captured a white 2009 Dodge Caliber with front-end damage fleeing the rear parking lot shortly before 8 p.m. with four individuals inside.
The following day, Chapman and a family member arrived at police headquarters at the request of law enforcement.
After waiving his Miranda rights, Chapman initially told police he was a victim. He claimed he had gone to the apartment to buy marijuana and was knocked down by two masked black men who barged through the door. He claimed to have run out of the apartment for his safety.
Chapman later changed his story to say there were three masked men after his family member presented a phone call log that contradicted his timeline, police say. Investigators subsequently confronted Chapman about the inconsistencies and advised him he was looking at serious charges. The interview was stopped after Chapman’s family member requested an attorney.
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