Robbery, conspiracy among charges for trio
CLAY TWP — A 22-year-old man apparently looking to buy marijuana instead was attacked and robbed of hundreds of dollars at a township home, authorities said.
Three defendants — Bradin A. Bender, 20, and Michael R. Edinger, 21, both of Butler, and McHayla M. Hoffman, 18, of Clay Township — face hearings next month in the alleged robbery Thursday.
The trio was arraigned Friday on felony charges of robbery and conspiracy. Bender and Edinger also were arraigned on felony counts of theft and receiving stolen property.
Bender is in the Butler County Prison in lieu of $35,000 bail. Edinger and Hoffman are free on $25,000 bail and nonmonetary bail, respectively.
State police said they got a call for the suspected robbery around 10:10 p.m. at Hoffman's home on Queen Junction Road.
The victim allegedly told troopers he had gone there that night to buy marijuana from Hoffman.
But when he got to the home, police said, the victim recounted that he was met at the door by Bender and Edinger, who had a baseball bat.Edinger allegedly began assaulting him, according to court documents, and Bender “told him to stop running his mouth about his cousin.”The victim reported that Bender punched and kicked him “many times,” police said. He allegedly said he also was choked during the incident.The man allegedly told police that Bender removed his wallet that had about $520, car keys, cellphone, cigarettes and two prescription pill bottles containing medication.The victim said he eventually was able to escape the house, documents said, but he claimed Bender and Edinger took his car, a 2009 Hyundai Sonata.Police said the vehicle later was found crashed a short distance away.Police found the suspects at the house. The victim was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital with injures that police described as a contusion to his right eye and scrapes to his body.
During a police interview, Bender “admitted that he was upset (with the victim) making statements about his cousin,” documents said.He also acknowledged assaulting and taking money from the victim, police said.In his interview Edinger recounted that Bender told him that the victim was coming to the house for marijuana and that he would be armed.“Edinger was told by Bender to have a bat ready,” documents said.No gun, however, was found on the victim or in his car.Preliminary hearings for the defendants are scheduled for Sept. 3 at the office of District Judge Lewis Stoughton in Chicora.Online court records did not list attorneys for any of the suspects. Edinger and Hoffman could not be reached for comment.
