Charges against three men who robbed a Minersville store at gunpoint Aug. 13 were held for court after a preliminary hearing.
Za’ir Alvarez, 17, Edward Martinez, 18, and Adan Twigg, 20, all from Pottsville, were arrested shortly after they committed the robbery at the Minersville General Store, 155 N. Second St., alongside 23-year-old Shynir Jeffcoat, of Port Carbon, according to police. Jeffcoat was apprehended later and has yet to answer to the charges in court.
Alvarez, who was holding the gun during the robbery, was charged with aggravated assault, while the other three were charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, according to Minersville Police Chief Jeffrey Bowers.
Police said Alvarez was charged as an adult due to the severity of the crime.
All four face charges of robbery, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and conspiracy to commit those crimes.
Alvarez, Martinez and Twigg appeared for a preliminary hearing Sept. 24 before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, who bound all charges over to court.
Jeffcoat, who was arraigned by Plachko on Nov. 19, is scheduled to appear before the judge for a hearing at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 28.
According to police, the four males entered the Minersville General Store at 10 p.m. Aug. 12. Alvarez pointed a gun at the clerk while the suspects took cash from the register and the safe and stole other items.
Twigg and Alvarez have been jailed in Schuylkill County Prison since the day of their arrests, unable to post $150,000 cash bail.
Martinez, who was jailed on the same bail conditions since Aug. 13, had his bail reduced to $10,000 unsecured on Oct. 11 and was subsequently released.
Jeffcoat was jailed Nov. 19 and released Nov. 26 after posting $50,000 bail.