By Lauren Silver, Cox Media Group National Content Desk. 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. Strangers leave roses in front of the hotel where police say a female tourist was drugged, raped and left to die @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/NtnnzwSUZS. 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 . Do not to buy Raspberry Rally cookies from eBay, Girl Scouts say, Brian Laundrie was 'emotional bully,' Petito family lawsuit says, Pa. woman missing since 1992 found alive in Puerto Rico. The people causing problems on Miami Beach are mostly out-of-state visitors, but many aren't college spring breakers, city officials say. Her father told NBC Miami that Englehardt traveled to South Florida from her Richboro home. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. I went through a lot, said Bob Kopta, a retired truck driver. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code, Vast majority of U.S. homes are unaffordable to the average buyer. But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said. "I thought maybe she had died. March 24, 2021, 12:10 AM. It was total shock," her surviving sister Gloria Smith said. Surveillance cameras from the Albion Hotel on James Avenue show Englehardt with the two men around 1 a.m. that morning. 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. I didn't believe it. Every time theyd find a body somewhere (I wondered), Is it Patricia? Shortly afterward, Kopta began preaching and was briefly institutionalized after doctors diagnosed her with delusions of grandeur and said she had signs of schizophrenia. He gave her and her friends a ride and fell in love. 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. RELATED: Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. She says shes been unable to speak to the elder sibling on the phone because she cannot hold a conversation given her dementia. "It's a sad thing, but it's a relief off my mind," her husband said. To think that someone would do this to her, she was young too, said Hailey Davis, the victims friend. Please enter valid email address to continue. Whether the two are charged with manslaughter or murder will depend on what caused her death, which a medical examiner has not yet released. Miami Beach police say the woman was found partly nude and lifeless inside her room at the Albion on James Avenue on Thursday. 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. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, both of North Carolina, were arrested and charged with sexual battery and burglary. Theyre also accused of stealing her credit cards and using them at several locations across Miami Beach. 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. Kohlhepp said those who knew her in Puerto Rico finally made the connection and contacted Ross Township police, CBS Pittsburgh reported. When your wife goes missing, youre a suspect.. Miami Beach chaos isnt all college spring breakers. Investigators believe the suspects gave the victim a green pill to drug her. He gave her and her friends a ride and fell in love. Five-time Emmy Award-winning newscaster Calvin Hughes anchors WPLG-Local 10's 4, 5, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts. "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. March 3, 2023, 4:10 PM PST. 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. Englehardt is a graduate of Council Rock High School North and was a manager at Jules Thin Crust Pizza in Newtown. They are currently being held without bond. Investigators believe the suspects gave the victim a green pill to drug her. Miami Beach police arrested Dorian Taylor, 24, and Evoire Collier, 21, both from North Carolina and visiting for spring break, according to investigators. Bob Kopta reported his wife, Patricia, missing in 1992. According to authorities, the. They are charged with sexual battery as well. The medical examiner has not made a ruling on the cause of death as toxicology results are pending, officials said. 2 men accused of drugging, raping Pa. woman found dead in Miami hotel room. 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. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, are accused of stealing the womans credit cards. By Antonio Planas and The Associated Press. Both men were held without bond. The men are also accused of stealing her cell phone, cash and credit cards once Englehardt was unconscious, according to a judge. The men are also accused of stealing her cell phone, cash and credit cards once Englehardt was unconscious, according to a judge. Two North Carolina men, Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, have been accused of drugging Englehardt with a "green. A twin sister of Patricia Kopta died without knowing her fellow twin was still alive. Spring Breakers Arrested for Drugging, Raping Woman Who Later Died in Miami Hotel: Police, Police Chief Says Miami Partying Couldn't Go on Any Longer', Check Your Change! Total shock," Gloria Smith said of learning the news. In partnership with Investigators believe the suspects gave the victim a green pill to drug her. To think she went through what she went through, it's sickening; it's sick," DiFrancesco said. If investigators find the pill that led to her death, the suspects could face manslaughter or murder charges. It just breaks your heart when you know she was a genuinely good person who would do anything for anybody. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman who was found dead inside a South Beach Miami hotel room is being remembered as a "shining light." . Is it Patricia?. 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. Warner Bros. Entertainment | MIAMI (WPVI) -- 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. A possible drug overdose was suspected. The suspects were reportedly recorded on video using the credit cards around Miami Beach, including at a liquor store. When your wife goes missing, youre a suspect.. Surveillance cameras from the Albion Hotel in South Beach show her with the two men around 1 a.m. that morning. Detectives said that one of the defendants admitted to having sex with Englehardt. Smith said her sister quit her job at the glass company after 10 years because of migraines that doctors blamed on stress. Her husband, Bob Kopta, and her surviving sister, 78-year-old Gloria Smith. Updated: Mar 3, 2023 / 02:26 PM EST. Meanwhile, Patricia Kopta apparently was wandering the island's northern towns of Naranjito, Corozal and Toa Alta, located just southwest of the capital of San Juan. According to authorities, the body of Christine Englehardt was found last Thursday. 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. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters. Every time theyd find a body somewhere (I wondered), Is it Patricia? He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. Crowds continue to pack South Beach and even with an 8 p.m. curfew, law enforcement has their hands full. She always said she wanted to go to a warm climate," he said. Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. WPLG-TV reports the woman's body was found partially clothed in her room at the hotel, according to Miami Beach Police. Its a sad thing, but its a relief off my mind, her husband said. 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. In recent weeks, South Beach has seen brawls, crowd stampedes and police confrontations involving the use of pepper balls.. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. A Pittsburgh woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who . Taylor and Collier appeared in court Monday and are being held with no bond. filled in details of Koptas life at the news conference and in telephone interviews Friday with The Associated Press. Smith, on the other hand, wants to go to the island to see her older sister. She then got a job as an elevator operator at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Do not to buy Raspberry Rally cookies from eBay, Girl Scouts say, Brian Laundrie was 'emotional bully,' Petito family lawsuit says, Pa. woman missing since 1992 found alive in Puerto Rico. During the bond hearing, Collier's sister pleaded with the judge saying he has never been in trouble before. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office is still working to determine Christine Englehardt's cause of death after the young woman's semi-nude body was discovered Thursday at the Albion Hotel. But on March 18, the Bucks County, Pennsylvania woman was found dead in her hotel room while on vacation in Miami Beach. 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. Two North Carolina men face charges in the case. RELATED: Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. In 1972, they married. (Ross Township Police . 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. The Miami Herald reports Collier confessed to police that he and Taylor met the woman at a local restaurant. Christine . She just loved the ocean, the beach, the warm sunshine, Smith told the AP. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Is it Patricia?'". March 03, 2023 at 10:52 am EST. It worked. Investigators believe Englehardt made contact with the suspects in a restaurant. / CBS/AP. All Rights Reserved. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? All rights reserved. Her family said she suffered from mental health issues and feared being institutionalized, CBS Pittsburgh reported. ", First published on March 3, 2023 / 2:29 PM. Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. Kopta, now 86, recalled how they met near a river in Pittsburgh where he had a boat. "I don't . The men are also accused of stealing her cell phone, cash and credit cards once Englehardt was unconscious, according to a judge. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. 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. Samantha DiFrancesco, a close friend of Englehardt's, said she was a "genuinely good person.". Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Collier and Taylor are facing charges of burglary with battery, petty theft, sexual battery and credit card fraud. 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. Surveillance video reportedly shows two men entering the Albion Hotel with the victim and later leaving without her. "She could have come home at any time. 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.. The disappearance stumped authorities and family alike. A detective testified hotel video showed the woman was staggering as they walked into the elevator at the hotel, the Herald reports. Evoire Collier (left) and Dorian Taylor (right) were both charged with burglary with assault or battery; sexual battery; credit card fraud; and theft. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead at the Albion Hotel on James Avenue in Miami Beach on Thursday, March 18. The disappearance stumped authorities and family alike. "I didn't believe it. 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. Two North Carolina men are accused of drugging and raping the Pennsylvania woman. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. Former U.S. May 18, 2021 / 6:48 PM / CBS Miami. He gave her and her friends a ride and fell in love. Years went by with no sign of her. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead at the Albion Hotel on James Avenue in Miami Beach on Thursday, March 18. 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. She then got a job as an elevator operator at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. 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. They are currently being held without bond. The victim was identified by authorities as 24-year-old. Miami Beach's commission meets and decides to extend a curfew and causeway closures for at least the next three weekends while out-of-town crowds gather in the city. In 1972, they married. A twin sister of Patricia Kopta died without knowing her fellow twin was still alive. "I went through a lot," said Bob Kopta, a retired truck driver. The men are accused of stealing the dead woman's credit cards to help fund their South Beach vacation, the report says. The disappearance stumped authorities and family alike. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. filled in details of Kopta's life at the news conference and in telephone interviews Friday with The Associated Press. "I come home one night, and she's just gone," Bob Kopta told the AP. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, also stand accused of stealing Englehardt's credit cards and cash and using them during their trip to South Beach. ___ AP researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York. accused of drugging and raping a 24-year-old woman later found dead in her hotel room. Privacy Policy | Police allege the suspects, from . "She was the person you brought in that lit up the whole room. March 3, 2023 / 2:29 PM Elizabeth Khamermesh remembered her high school friend Englehardt as a bright person with dreams. If investigators find the pill led to her death, the suspects could face manslaughter or murder charges. "She just loved the ocean, the beach, the warm sunshine," Smith told the AP. Terms of Use | Both Collier and Taylor have been appointed public defenders for the time being. "She said something about seeing an angel there," Smith recalled. Patricia Kopta, Pittsburgh street preacher missing since 1992, found alive in Puerto Rico 02:03. "To lose your child just to go down for a little vacation," Doreen said . Investigators believe Englehardt made contact with the suspects in a restaurant. Its a sad thing, but its a relief off my mind, her husband said. If that is determined to be the case, the suspects could face a manslaughter or murder charge. Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. On Friday night, publicist Nick D'Annunzio organized a vigil to honor the memory of Englehardt, according to ABC affiliate WPLG. But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said. Online jail records did not indicate whether the two had an attorney who could speak for them. Smith, on the other hand, wants to go to the island to see her older sister. 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. D'Annunzio never met Englehardt, but he said the news of her death really affected him. Shortly afterward, Kopta began preaching and was briefly institutionalized after doctors diagnosed her with "delusions of grandeur" and said she had signs of schizophrenia. A Pittsburgh 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. 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. MIAMI (WPVI) -- 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. Her laugh was the most contagious laugh," said DiFrancesco. 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. The Marion County Sheriff's Office did not name the woman . Upon her release, she kept preaching until she vanished in 1992. According to police, the body of Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found on March 18. Bucks County woman found dead in Miami hotel room remembered . Her laugh was the most contagious laugh," said DiFrancesco. "When your wife goes missing, you're a suspect.". 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. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. Smith said her sister quit her job at the glass company after 10 years because of migraines that doctors blamed on stress. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. Bob Kopta reported his wife, Patricia, missing in 1992. Shortly afterward, Kopta began preaching and was briefly institutionalized after doctors diagnosed her with delusions of grandeur and said she had signs of schizophrenia. "Miami Beach, we have blood on our hands. So he published ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, but never got a response. "This is the last person I would ever think this would happen to. According to police, the body of Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found on March 18. 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. The missing person case of Patricia Kopta has been solved. The Medical Examiner has not made a ruling on the cause of death as they are still awaiting toxicology results, officials said. "We really thought she was dead all those years. 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. So he published ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, but never got a response. 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. According to authorities, the body of. 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. MIAMI, Fla. (WGHP) A Pennsylvania man who was wanted after a woman was found dead in a North Carolina hotel earlier this week was found and arrested in Miami, Florida, according to the Davie . Christine Englehardt was found dead in a Miami Beach hotel room. A possible drug overdose was suspected. 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. Two men were arrested after the 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead in a South Beach hotel during spring break. 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.". 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By last year, a social worker at the home had enough information to alert authorities back home about the now-83-year-old woman. She was a . 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. Christine Englehardt, 24, of Pennsylvania was found dead in her Miami Beach hotel room. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, were both charged with burglary with assault or battery; sexual battery; credit card fraud; and theft. Collier and Taylor will reportedly be arraigned in about three weeks. Smith said her sister quit her job at the glass company after 10 years because of migraines that doctors blamed on stress. All rights reserved, died after being drugged and raped in a Miami Beach hotel room. Years went by with no sign of her.