The 23-year-old victim had been communicating on Facebook with an 18-year-old woman, who invited him to hang out, police say.
Three teens are charged in the robbery and assault of a Phillipsburg man who was beaten with a baseball bat after being lured to Monroe County, according to police.
The 23-year-old victim, James Donato, met one of the suspects, 18-year-old Ava L. Bodogh, through Facebook, and she invited him to hang out Wednesday, said Pennsylvania State Police at Swiftwater.
Donato drove to the address provided by Bodogh, in the 700 block of Wilkes-Barre Turnpike in Saylorsburg, Hamilton Township, court records say. The home turned out to be that of co-defendant Kyle J. Getz, 15, according to police.
Donato entered the home with Bodogh and had sat down in a kitchen chair, when suddenly two males came running in and assaulted him, police said.
The third suspect, 17-year-old Bruce Torrez, of Thomas Street in Stroudsburg, struck Donato about his body with a black baseball bat, claiming Bodogh was his girlfriend, court records say; Getz hit Donato with his hands.
As Donato lay on the floor, Getz went through his pockets and removed $36, a cellphone, a box of Newport 100s, a AAA motor club card and an EBT benefit card in Donato's name, police said.
Torrez took the phone and smashed it, rendering it inoperable, and Getz leveled a handgun at Donato, police said.
Getz told Donato "if he went to the police he would be dead" and to get out of his house, using an expletive, police said.
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Donato left the home and called police from a nearby gas station. Police found him about 12:50 p.m. with bruises on his head and arms and a bloody nose, and Donato led a trooper to the home, records say. No one answered at the home.
Within about three hours, state police had taken Bodogh and Torrez into custody, and Getz was taken to the Swiftwater barracks by his mother and grandfather.
Getz told police he, Torrez and Bodogh conspired to lure Donato to his home and that, once there, he and Torrez beat him, causing serious bodily injury, court records say.
Getz said all three of them went through Donato's pockets and described the handgun he pulled out and pointed at the victim, while threatening him, as an Air Soft pellet gun, according to police.
Torrez and Bodogh, who lives on Metzgar Road in Sciota, Pennsylvania, both refused to speak with police about the incident.
The three were arraigned Thursday morning before District Judge Michael Muth on charges of aggravated assault and robbery, both of which are felonies, in addition to misdemeanor theft, receiving stolen property and simple assault. Bodogh is charged additionally with felony conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.
Muth sent all three to the Monroe County prison in lieu of $10,000 bail each. The next step in their cases is to appear for a preliminary hearing, tentatively scheduled Nov. 14, where the district judge will review whether there is sufficient evidence to send the charges to county court.
Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and on Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.