A Pennsylvania woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who later declared her legally dead has been found living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico SAN JUAN . "She was the person you brought in that lit up the whole room. She just loved the ocean, the beach, the warm sunshine, Smith told the AP. MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead inside a Miami Beach hotel room after two men drugged and raped her last week, police said. Her laugh was the most contagious laugh," said DiFrancesco. After graduating high school, she worked in finance at a Pittsburgh plate glass company and would attend ballroom dancing events weekly, according to her family. "She was the person you brought in that lit up the whole room. A twin sister of Patricia Kopta died without knowing her fellow twin was still alive. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead at the Albion Hotel on James Avenue in Miami Beach on Thursday, March 18. But on March 18, the Bucks County, Pennsylvania woman was found dead in her hotel room while on vacation in Miami Beach. D'Annunzio never met Englehardt, but he said the news of her death really affected him. "When your wife goes missing, you're a suspect.". ___ AP researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York. MIAMI, Fla. (WFLA) A woman was found dead at a Florida hotel after she was allegedly drugged and raped by two spring breakers who stole her credit cards to spend money on their trip, police said. All rights reserved. Shortly afterward, Kopta began preaching and was briefly institutionalized after doctors diagnosed her with delusions of grandeur and said she had signs of schizophrenia. Her laugh was the most contagious laugh," said DiFrancesco. She died in South Beach hotel - Miami Herald, Men visiting Miami Beach drugged and raped woman who later died, police say - WPLG, Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Inmate Search. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. "Every time they'd find a body somewhere (I wondered), 'Is it Patricia? Two North Carolina men, Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, have been accused of drugging Englehardt with a "green. We didn't expect it and it was a very big shock to find out she was alive, and we are so happy and I hope I can get down to see her.". In 1972, they married. "This is the last person I would ever think this would happen to. Whether she knows me or not, I still want to see her and give her a hug and tell her I love her, Smith said. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, are accused of stealing the womans credit cards. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead at the Albion Hotel on James Avenue in Miami Beach on Thursday, March 18. One investigator said that a court surveillance video shows the suspects holding the victim up and that the video made it clear she was unable to consent. "I don't . "I come home one night, and she's just gone," Bob Kopta told the AP. I thought maybe she had died.. Theyre also accused of stealing her credit cards and using them at several locations across Miami Beach. Smith, on the other hand, wants to go to the island to see her older sister. From Haiti Through Liberty City to Top Federal Prosecutor in South Florida: the Unlikely Story of Markenzy Lapointe, Pa. Woman Went Missing in 1992 and Declared Dead. Miami Beach police arrested Dorian Taylor, 24, and Evoire Collier, 21, both from North Carolina and visiting for spring break, according to investigators. Recommended Stories Business Insider GOP Gov. . RELATED: Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. By last year, a social worker at the home had enough information to alert authorities back home about the now-83-year-old woman. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer', 2 men accused of drugging, raping Bucks County woman found dead in Miami hotel room. A possible drug overdose was suspected. Terms of Use | According to police, the body of Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found on March 18. When there was a baseball game going on, when a concert was going on, she would be talking to people," Bob Kopta said about his wife. Former U.S. Her family said she suffered from mental health issues and feared being institutionalized, CBS Pittsburgh reported. She Was Just Found in Puerto Rico, Actor Tom Sizemore, of Saving Private Ryan,' Dies at 61. 1 min read. She then got a job as an elevator operator at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Updated: Mar 3, 2023 / 02:26 PM EST. RELATED: Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. A Pennsylvania "street preacher" who mysteriously disappeared more than three decades ago was found alive in a nursing home in Puerto Rico, authorities and her family said Friday. All rights reserved, died after being drugged and raped in a Miami Beach hotel room. Investigators believe Englehardt made contact with the suspects in a restaurant. Missing Pennsylvania woman found alive after more than 30 years. Dorian Taylor and Evoire Collier, both from North Carolina, have been charged with sexual battery as well as burglary with battery, theft and credit card fraud. Patricia Kopta had been nicknamed The Sparrow because of her slight build, and often frequented parking lots and busy roads in the largely residential community of about 31,000 north of Pittsburgh, where she would caution passersby and motorists about the end of the world. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, then allegedly stole her phone and credit cards, using them to fund their South Beach vacation, police said. If the drug they are alleged to have given to Englehardt is proven to have played a role in her death, they could also be facing a manslaughter or murder charge. He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. In recent weeks, South Beach has seen brawls, crowd stampedes and police confrontations involving the use of pepper balls.. I come home one night, and shes just gone, Bob Kopta told the AP. Surveillance video reportedly shows two men entering the Albion Hotel with the victim and later leaving without her. . During the bond hearing, Collier's sister pleaded with the judge saying he has never been in trouble before. ALSO SEE: Miami Beach chaos isnt all college spring breakers. I went through a lot, said Bob Kopta, a retired truck driver. Patricia Kopta left behind a husband and siblings and meandered through northern Puerto Rico for a while before she was taken as a person "in need" to the . If investigators find the pill led to her death, the suspects could face manslaughter or murder charges. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The victim was identified by authorities as 24-year-old Christine Englehardt from Pennsylvania. The suspects were reportedly recorded on video using the credit cards around Miami Beach, including at a liquor store. Her husband, Bob Kopta, and Gloria Smith, 78, filled in details of Koptas life at the news conference and in telephone interviews Friday with The Associated Press. The men are also accused of stealing her cell phone, cash and credit cards once Englehardt was unconscious, according to a judge. Police arrested Dorian Taylor, 24, and Evoire Collier, 21, both from North Carolina. Patricia Kopta left behind a husband and siblings and meandered through northern Puerto Rico for a while before she was taken as a person "in need" to the adult care home in 1999, according to details announced at a news conference this week in Ross Township, where she once lived. Collier claimed Taylor gave the woman a green pill as they walked on Ocean Drive, but it was unclear from the arrest report if she took the pill willingly, or if it was slipped. Collier told police he believed it was the pain reliever Percocet. The Miami Herald quotes the police report: The fact that the victim was under the influence of alcohol and narcotics, she could not have consented to sex with the defendants.. "It's a sad thing, but it's a relief off my mind," her husband said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Patricia Kopta, a well-known Pittsburgh street preacher known as "The Sparrow," was found alive in Puerto Rico more than three decades after she went missing. A Pennsylvania woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who later declared her legally dead has been found living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico. Prosecutors say Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24 both of . When she first was taken in at the adult home, she had hinted that she had arrived in Puerto Rico via a cruise ship from Europe, Kohlhepp said. A Pennsylvania woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who later declared her legally dead has been found living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Alleged Miami Beach Serial Rapist Facing More Charges After 5th Accuser Comes Forward. SEE ALSO: 2 men accused of drugging, raping Bucks County woman found dead in Miami hotel room. Its a sad thing, but its a relief off my mind, her husband said. After a social worker contacted police in Pennsylvania, it took almost a year for DNA samples to confirm that the woman was indeed Patricia Kopta. Bob Kopta, who did not remarry, said he doesnt plan to visit, and that hes now trying to forget the past, though hes glad to know shes being taken care of. "To lose your child just to go down for a little vacation," Doreen said . Police allege the suspects, from . Smith said her sister quit her job at the glass company after 10 years because of migraines that doctors blamed on stress. She then got a job as an elevator operator at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Police went as far as to consult a psychic, while Kopta recalled his wife once mentioned she would like to go to Puerto Rico because of its balmy weather. She says she's been unable to speak to the elder sibling on the phone because she cannot hold a conversation, given her dementia. Shortly afterward, Kopta began preaching and was briefly institutionalized after doctors diagnosed her with "delusions of grandeur" and said she had signs of schizophrenia. Every time theyd find a body somewhere (I wondered), Is it Patricia? Whether the two are charged with manslaughter or murder will depend on what caused her death, which a medical examiner has not yet released. A possible drug overdose was suspected. By last year, a social worker at the home had enough information to alert authorities back home about the now-83-year-old woman. Its a sad thing, but its a relief off my mind, her husband said. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. After graduating high school, she worked in finance at a Pittsburgh plate glass company and would attend ballroom dancing events weekly, according to her family. Authorities are trying to determine if she died of an overdose from a pill the men allegedly gave her. Is it Patricia?. "Im severely bewildered by these charges and accusations against him, but I can attest for his character and I can attest for responsibility of him standing trial for whatever charges," his sister said. Investigators believe the suspects gave the victim a green pill to drug her. MIAMI BEACH, Florida (WPVI) -- Residents in Miami Beach, Florida held a vigil on Friday night to honor a Pennsylvania woman who was found dead inside a hotel room earlier this month. Years went by with no sign of her. To think she went through what she went through, it's sickening; it's sick," DiFrancesco said. Police allegedly found the womans phone and green pills in Taylors possession, the Herald reports. + Caption. It just breaks your heart when you know she was a genuinely good person who would do anything for anybody. "She just loved the ocean, the beach, the warm sunshine," Smith told the AP. filled in details of Kopta's life at the news conference and in telephone interviews Friday with The Associated Press. Police found the body of Marelbi Ruiz Lara, 47, inside a room at the Sherry Frontenac Hotel on Collins Avenue in Miami beach on Tuesday evening, after a coworker called for a welfare . According to authorities, the body of Christine Englehardt was found last Thursday. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- A Pennsylvania woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who later declared her legally dead has been found living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico. Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. Years went by with no sign of her. Upon her release, she kept preaching until she vanished in 1992. Elizabeth Khamermesh remembered her high school friend Englehardt as a bright person with dreams. The Miami Herald reports Collier confessed to police, The Miami Herald quotes the police report, 2 spring breakers drugged, raped woman, then partied, cops say. MIAMI BEACH, Fla. Two men vacationing in South Beach for spring break are charged with drugging and raping a woman who was later found dead in a hotel. A Pennsylvania woman who vanished more than three decades ago and was declared legally dead, was found alive in a Puerto . 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, Patricia Kopta, Pittsburgh street preacher missing since 1992, found alive in Puerto Rico, Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Man finds giant clam estimated to be 214 years old. -- A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead inside a Miami Beach hotel room after two men drugged and raped her last week, police said. 2 men accused of drugging, raping Pa. woman found dead in Miami hotel room. Christine Englehardt, 24, of Pennsylvania was found dead in her Miami Beach hotel room. Mourners were gathering outside of the Albion Hotel, where 24-year-old Christine Englehardt was discovered dead on March 19 after officials say she was drugged and raped by two tourists. Surveillance cameras from the Albion Hotel on James Avenue show her with the two men around 1 a.m. that morning. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Christine . But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said. Miami Beach police say the woman was found partly nude and lifeless inside her room at the Albion on James Avenue on Thursday. So he published ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, but never got a response. Police went as far as to consult a psychic, while Kopta recalled his wife once mentioned she would like to go to Puerto Rico because of its balmy weather. Collier and Taylor are facing charges of burglary with battery, petty theft, sexual battery and credit card fraud. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiners Office did not release a cause of death. She was 24 years old. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead inside a South Beach Miami hotel room after two men drugged and raped her, police said. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. She was a . The men are also accused of stealing her cell phone, cash and credit cards once Englehardt was unconscious, according to a judge. "If you please let my brother come home and let our family handle the situation appropriately we will do whatever is necessary that Miami-Dade County asks of us. I didn't believe it. March 3, 2023, 4:10 PM PST. A DNA test has confirmed her identity, Kohlhepp said. So he published ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, but never got a response. All Rights Reserved. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, were both charged with burglary with assault or battery; sexual battery; credit card fraud; and theft. "Shock. "I went through a lot," said Bob Kopta, a retired truck driver. One of the Miami Beach detectives on the case testified at a bond hearing Monday and said that based on the surveillance footage, Englehardt was staggering and appeared to be in no condition to give any kind of consent prior to entering the hotel. I thought maybe she had died.. She just loved the ocean, the beach, the warm sunshine, Smith told the AP. Englehardt came from Pennsylvania to Miami Beach for spring break. March 24, 2021, 12:10 AM. Detectives said that one of the defendants admitted to having sex with Englehardt. He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. According to the Miami Herald: The arrests come as Miami Beach police and city officials have been grappling with the overwhelming spring break crowds, instituting an 8 p.m. curfew aimed at cracking down on rowdy revelers on the streets. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, both of North Carolina, were arrested and charged with sexual battery and burglary. Patricia Kopta left behind a husband and siblings and meandered through northern Puerto Rico for a while before she was taken as a person in need to the adult care home in 1999, according to details announced at a news conference this week in Ross Township, where she once lived. MIAMI, Fla. (WTVD) -- A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead inside a South Beach Miami hotel room after two North Carolina men drugged and raped her, police said. She says shes been unable to speak to the elder sibling on the phone because she cannot hold a conversation given her dementia. Collier and Taylor will reportedly be arraigned in about three weeks. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) A Pennsylvania woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who later declared her legally . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. By Antonio Planas and The Associated Press. Surveillance cameras from the Albion Hotel on James Avenue show Englehardt with the two men around 1 a.m. that morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, both of North Carolina, were arrested over the weekend and charged with sexual battery and burglary. An undated photo of Christine Englehardt, 24, who authorities say. Miami Beach police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found barricaded in a hotel room she reportedly shared with her now-missing boyfriend. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead in a Miami Beach hotel room last week; police said she'd been drugged and raped. It was total shock," her surviving sister Gloria Smith said. The disappearance stumped authorities and family alike. A DNA test has confirmed her identity, Kohlhepp said. Bucks County woman found dead in Miami hotel room remembered . Investigators are trying to determine whether the victim's death resulted from a "green pill" the men supplied, but the Miami-Dade Medical Examiners Office said Monday it is conducting further tests, and no cause of death has been determined pending a toxicology report. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. So he published ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, but never got a response. I went through a lot, said Bob Kopta, a retired truck driver. Last year, a social worker at the home alerted authorities back home about the now-83-year-old woman. Bob Kopta, who did not remarry, said he doesnt plan to visit, and that hes now trying to forget the past, though hes glad to know shes being taken care of. A pair of tourists in South Beach for spring break have been charged with drugging and raping a woman who was later found dead in a hotel. But before she began preaching, Kopta was a straight-A student who became a model and dance instructor. Englehardt is a graduate of Council Rock High School North and was a manager at Jules Thin Crust Pizza in Newtown. Chris. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. It worked. "Whether she knows me or not, I still want to see her and give her a hug and tell her I love her," Smith said. When she first was taken in at the adult home, she had hinted that she had arrived in Puerto Rico via a cruise ship from Europe, Kohlhepp said. "Christine is everyone's daughter, sister, girlfriend, best friend, and my heart breaks for her family," D'Annunzio said. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead inside a South Beach Miami hotel room after two men drugged and raped her, police said. Smith said her sister quit her job at the glass company after 10 years because of migraines that doctors blamed on stress. March 03, 2023 at 10:52 am EST. A detective testified hotel video showed the woman was staggering as they walked into the elevator at the hotel, the Herald reports. This type of crime should not be happening in our community," said D'Annunzio, who is the founding partner at TARA, Ink., a public relations agency that specializes in fashion, beauty, hospitality, and entertainment. Bob Kopta reported his wife, Patricia, missing in 1992. She Was Just Found in Puerto Rico, Check Your Change! According to police records, surveillance footage showed the two men entering the hotel lobby Englehardt, at about 1 a.m. on Thursday, March 18, then exiting the hotel without Englehardt about 30 minutes later. / CBS/AP. The victim was identified by authorities as 24-year-old. Warner Bros. Entertainment | Five-time Emmy Award-winning newscaster Calvin Hughes anchors WPLG-Local 10's 4, 5, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts. Smith, on the other hand, wants to go to the island to see her older sister. Two North Carolina men are accused of drugging and raping the Pennsylvania woman. One investigator said that a court surveillance video shows the suspects holding the victim up and that the video made it clear she was unable to consent. Both Collier and Taylor have been appointed public defenders for the time being. Car dealership workers kidnapped, tortured in armed robbery: police, Woman buys new tires that turn out to be 9 years old. Christian De La Rosa joined Local 10 News in April 2017 after spending time as a reporter and anchor in Atlanta, San Diego, Orlando and Panama City Beach. They are currently being held without bond. All Rights Reserved. Miami Beach police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found barricaded in a hotel room she reportedly shared with her now-missing boyfriend. In 1972, they married. All rights reserved. The suspects are accused of stealing cash, credit cards and the womans phone and leaving her in her room without any concern for her welfare or safety.. The Miami Herald reports Collier confessed to police that he and Taylor met the woman at a local restaurant. He gave her and her friends a ride and fell in love. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Eagles' WR Zach Pascal Robbed and Assaulted at Gunpoint in Maryland, Pa. Woman Went Missing in 1992 and Declared Dead. The two men are accused of going with the woman to her hotel, where they had sex with her multiple times and once she was unconscious or out the suspects remained inside the unit and didnt call for assistance or help and began to take all her items, WPLG reports. Please enter valid email address to continue. "She said something about seeing an angel there," Smith recalled. Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found dead on March 18. Investigators believe the suspects gave the victim a green pill to drug her. Smith, on the other hand, wants to go to the island to see her older sister. Both men were held without bond. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman who was found dead inside a South Beach Miami hotel room is being remembered as a "shining light." . Ad Choices. All Rights Reserved. In partnership with Patricia Kopta had been nicknamed "The Sparrow" because of her slight build, and often frequented parking lots and busy roads in the largely residential community of about 31,000 north of Pittsburgh, where she would caution passersby and motorists about the end of the world. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office did not release a cause of death. Smith said her sister quit her job at the glass company after 10 years because of migraines that doctors blamed on stress. Both men matched the description given to police and were stopped and detained by detectives Sunday. Kopta, now 86, recalled how they met near a river in Pittsburgh where he had a boat. She always said she wanted to go to a warm climate," he said. Christine Englehardt was found dead in a Miami Beach hotel room. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Alleged Miami Beach Serial Rapist Facing More Charges After 5th Accuser Comes Forward. According to police, the body of Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found on March 18. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. (Ross Township Police . A Pennsylvania woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who later declared her legally dead has been found living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico. Patricia Kopta had been nicknamed The Sparrow because of her slight build, and often frequented parking lots and busy roads in the largely residential community of about 31,000 north of Pittsburgh, where she would caution passersby and motorists about the end of the world. MIAMI BEACH, Florida (WPVI) -- Residents in Miami Beach, Florida held a vigil on Friday night to honor a Pennsylvania woman who was found dead inside a hotel room earlier this month. Patricia Kopta, Pittsburgh street preacher missing since 1992, found alive in Puerto Rico 02:03. Bob Kopta, who did not remarry, said he doesn't plan to visit, and that he's now trying to forget the past, though he's glad to know she's being taken care of. "As she asked and spoke more, she leaked enough details about her identity that they were able to connect enough dots to contact us," Kohlhepp said. She had her whole life still to do things and she had dreams and goals and all these things shell never be able to do now because of them., Investigators say the two men met their victim at a restaurant, gave her a green pill and went to her hotel where they had sex with her multiple times and once she was unconscious or out the suspects remained inside the unit and didnt call for assistance or help and began to take all her items..
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