web1_Jeanna-Orfanos-mug.jpg

MAC Freedom Women’s Soccer Championship: Misericordia beats Wilkes for 3rd straight title

web1_AP18307811960682.jpg

Accelerate wins Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs

<p>HAZLETON &#8212; Two suspects were in custody just minutes after a gunpoint robbery on a troubled city street early Saturday, police say.</p><p>About 12:30 a.m., officers responded to a 911 call about a 39-year-old man being robbed of $300 in cash and his ID card by three men in hooded sweatshirts at Third and Alter streets.</p><p>That stretch of Alter has become the focus of a police crackdown and was where an unruly mob of dozens confronted officers over the Fourth of July holiday.</p><p>In Saturday&#8217;s incident, the suspects reportedly fled on foot.</p><p>But with police only two blocks away, they quickly spotted two men matching the alleged robbers&#8217; descriptions in the area of Seventh and Alter streets, according to Police Chief Jerry Speziale. The chief said one of the men was seen dropping a wad of money.</p><p>The pair was stopped and identified as Ervin Jimenez-Rodriguez, 18, and Luis Javier Estevez-Perlata, 16. Officers said they determined that the money and ID card they had belonged to the victim. However, they could not find the third alleged robber or firearm.</p><p>Police say the Luzerne County District Attorney&#8217;s Office has approved charging the 16-year-old as an adult.</p><p>Jimenez-Rodriguez and Estevez-Perlata were arraigned by District Judge David A. Barilla late Saturday morning. Both were charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery, and single counts of receiving stolen property, possession of instruments of crime, simple assault, reckless endangerment, loitering and prowling at nighttime, and disorderly conduct.</p><p>They both were remanded to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $10,000 bail each.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_image1-5-.jpeg.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Jimenez-Rodriguez </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_image1-5-.jpeg.jpg</photo0><caption0>Jimenez-Rodriguez </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>dstokes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dan Stokes at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @ByDanStokes</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Two accused in Hazleton armed robbery