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Police: Woman left scene of crash with dog

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A man and woman who police say tried to kill two people over marijuana money in a botched execution-style shooting last year at a city apartment complex will face trial together Monday, despite a late attempt to sever their cases.</p><p>Tony &#8220;Hazard&#8221; Edwards, 29, of Philadelphia, and Wandalee Balcacer, 26, of Wilkes-Barre, are each charged with two counts of attempted homicide and two counts of conspiracy to commit homicide after the attempted point-blank-range shootings of Sherry &#8220;Chyna&#8221; Rivera and Izhar Ramos-Ramirez on April 4, 2015 at the Interfaith Heights apartment complex in Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>Before the trial begins with jury selection Monday afternoon, prosecutors and the pair&#8217;s attorneys on Friday appeared in court to address a two motions on the table ahead of trial.</p><p>Edwards, who is also charged with the illegal possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license, will be prosecuted separately from the homicide charges, Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas ruled.</p><p>Additionally, Lupas denied a defense motion to sever the pair&#8217;s cases, which would have allowed them to be tried separately.</p><p>Edwards&#8217; attorneys, Allyson L. Kacmarski and Mary Deady, had argued differing defense strategies would cause the case to be &#8220;irreconcilable.&#8221;</p><p>Confounding the issue is the scheduled testimony of Balcacer&#8217;s brother, 23-year-old Felipe Balcacer &#8212; a reported eyewitness to the attempted homicides currently awaiting sentencing in the Lehigh County Prison &#8212; and whether he will mention Edwards&#8217; reported gang affiliation, a factor prosecutors agreed not to pursue at trial.</p><p>Edwards met Felipe Balcacer in a halfway house and encouraged him to move to Wilkes-Barre, said Wandalee Balcacer&#8217;s attorney, John McMahon. The attorney said Wandalee Balcacer will testify to his sister&#8217;s innocence but assured Lupas he won&#8217;t discuss the gang affiliation.</p><p>Assistant District Attorney Jarrett Ferentino argued &#8220;there may be finger pointing, but that alone is not enough&#8221; to sever the cases.</p><p>Lupas sided with prosecutors and ordered the two to stand trial together.</p><p>Prosecutors say Balcacer recruited Edwards from Philadelphia to help collect money owed to her by Rivera, Balcacer&#8217;s ex-girlfriend. Balcacer allegedly told Rivera she should have given her the money, and held her down on the ground next to Ramos-Ramirez, who Edwards ordered on the ground at gunpoint.</p><p>Balcacer allegedly said, &#8220;Shoot them mother&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;- already.&#8221;</p><p>Both victims survived gunshot wounds to their heads.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_Wandalee-Balcacer-10-6-15-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Balcacer </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_Wandalee-Balcacer-10-6-15-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Balcacer </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_Tony-Edwards-10-6-15-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Edwards </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_Tony-Edwards-10-6-15-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Edwards </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Trial of alleged Interfaith Heights shooters set to start Monday