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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. "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. Smith said her sister quit her job at the glass company after 10 years because of migraines that doctors blamed on stress. "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. 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. . 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 . (Ross Township Police . Her father told NBC Miami that Englehardt traveled to South Florida from her Richboro home. It was total shock," her surviving sister Gloria Smith said. 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. She then got a job as an elevator operator at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. A detective testified hotel video showed the woman was staggering as they walked into the elevator at the hotel, the Herald reports. Englehardt came from Pennsylvania to Miami Beach for spring break. But before she began preaching, Kopta was a straight-A student who became a model and dance instructor. 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. She was a . Christine . 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. 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 DNA test has confirmed her identity, Kohlhepp said. "Shock. 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. 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. Car dealership workers kidnapped, tortured in armed robbery: police, Woman buys new tires that turn out to be 9 years old. That's when family members noticed a change in her. She said something about seeing an angel there, Smith recalled. All Rights Reserved. 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. Her husband, Bob Kopta, and her surviving sister, 78-year-old Gloria Smith. 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. All Rights Reserved. Both men were held without bond. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. Surveillance cameras from the Albion Hotel on James Avenue show her with the two men around 1 a.m. that morning. 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 . March 03, 2023 at 10:52 am EST. Detectives say they obtained surveillance video of one of the suspects using the womans credit cards at local shops. Miami Beach police say the woman was found partly nude and lifeless inside her room at the Albion on James Avenue on Thursday. The victim was identified by authorities as 24-year-old. "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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Alleged Miami Beach Serial Rapist Facing More Charges After 5th Accuser Comes Forward. "Christine is everyone's daughter, sister, girlfriend, best friend, and my heart breaks for her family," D'Annunzio said. He gave her and her friends a ride and fell in love. Two North Carolina men face charges in the case. SEE ALSO: 2 men accused of drugging, raping Bucks County woman found dead in Miami hotel room. RELATED: Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said. ROSS TWP., Pennsylvania -- A Pennsylvania woman missing for more than three decades has been found alive in Puerto Rico. . Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. But before she began preaching, Kopta was a straight-A student who became a model and dance instructor. Her husband, Bob Kopta, and her surviving sister, 78-year-old Gloria Smith. 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. May 18, 2021 / 6:48 PM / CBS Miami. 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. She was 24 years old. ", Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. A possible drug overdose was suspected. Smith, on the other hand, wants to go to the island to see her older sister. The medical examiner has not made a ruling on the cause of death as toxicology results are pending, officials said. So he published ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, but never got a response. Police allegedly found the womans phone and green pills in Taylors possession, the Herald reports. Kopta, now 86, recalled how they met near a river in Pittsburgh where he had a boat. Collier and Taylor are facing charges of burglary with battery, petty theft, sexual battery and credit card fraud. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. All rights reserved. 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. 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. They are currently being held without bond. Police allege the suspects, from . She says shes been unable to speak to the elder sibling on the phone because she cannot hold a conversation given her dementia. Kopta, now 86, recalled how they met near a river in Pittsburgh where he had a boat. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. "It's a sad thing, but it's a relief off my mind," her husband said. "She could have come home at any time. By last year, a social worker at the home had enough information to alert authorities back home about the now-83-year-old woman. In 1972, they married. 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. She then got a job as an elevator operator at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, are accused of stealing the womans credit cards. The disappearance stumped authorities and family alike. She Was Just Found in Puerto Rico, Check Your Change! Its a sad thing, but its a relief off my mind, her husband said. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner told Action News that Englehardt's cause of death is "pending further studies and investigation.". A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead at the Albion Hotel on James Avenue in Miami Beach on Thursday, March 18. "She was the person you brought in that lit up the whole room. 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 obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. 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. Christine Englehardt, 24, of Pennsylvania was found dead in her Miami Beach hotel room. Two North Carolina men are accused of drugging and raping the Pennsylvania woman. Ad Choices. By Antonio Planas and The Associated Press. Chris. 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. To think she went through what she went through, it's sickening; it's sick," DiFrancesco said. The victim was identified by authorities as 24-year-old Christine Englehardt from Pennsylvania. March 3, 2023, 4:10 PM PST. 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. Samantha DiFrancesco, a close friend of Englehardt's, said she was a "genuinely good person.". He added that one of the defendants actually helped hold her up as they went up to her hotel room. Investigators believe the suspects gave the victim a green pill to drug her. Samantha DiFrancesco, a close friend of Englehardt's, said she was a "genuinely good person.". Years went by with no sign of her. All Rights Reserved. Kohlhepp said those who knew her in Puerto Rico finally made the connection and contacted Ross Township police, CBS Pittsburgh reported. 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 . 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. Sign up to receive breaking True Crime Daily news, exclusive stories and behind-the-scenes info. 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. 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 . 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. 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. 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. Meanwhile, Patricia Kopta apparently was wandering the islands northern towns of Naranjito, Corozal and Toa Alta, located just southwest of the capital of San Juan. 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 . Two North Carolina men, Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, have been accused of drugging Englehardt with a "green. She Was Just Found in Puerto Rico, Check Your Change! An undated photo of Christine Englehardt, 24, who authorities say. "I didn't believe it. 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. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman who was found dead inside a South Beach Miami hotel room is being remembered as a "shining light." . RELATED: Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. 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 would vacation often in Puerto Rico with her friends before she got married, Smith recalled. Years went by with no sign of her. Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. The suspects were reportedly recorded on video using the credit cards around Miami Beach, including at a liquor store. A DNA test has confirmed her identity, Kohlhepp said. To think she went through what she went through, it's sickening; it's sick," DiFrancesco said. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead at the Albion Hotel on James Avenue in Miami Beach on Thursday, March 18. "Every time they'd find a body somewhere (I wondered), 'Is it Patricia? According to . Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. Christine Englehardt of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, died Thursday morning after being found at the AlbionHotel on Miami Beach, police in Florida said. During the bond hearing, Collier's sister pleaded with the judge saying he has never been in trouble before. Kopta, a street preacher known as "The Sparrow," was reported missing by her husband in 1992 and was found in Puerto Rico, March 3, 2023. Mourners laid flowers in a vigil Friday for the Pennsylvania woman who was found dead inside a Miami Beach hotel room. To think that someone would do this to her, she was young too, said Hailey Davis, the victims friend. She Was Just Found in Puerto Rico, Actor Tom Sizemore, of Saving Private Ryan,' Dies at 61. When your wife goes missing, youre a suspect.. A Pittsburgh woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who . Investigators believe the suspects gave the victim a green pill to drug her. READ MORE: https://t.co/ztb0ZFkRk1 pic.twitter.com/t1XgY71lAe. The Associated Press contributed to this report. If that is determined to be the case, the suspects could face a manslaughter or murder charge. Years went by with no sign of her. 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. Authorities are trying to determine if she died of an overdose from a pill the men allegedly gave her. According to police, the body of Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found on March 18. "She said something about seeing an angel there," Smith recalled. 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. ALSO SEE: Miami Beach chaos isnt all college spring breakers. Upon her release, she kept preaching until she vanished in 1992. Englehardt is a graduate of Council Rock High School North and was a manager at Jules Thin Crust Pizza in Newtown, Pennsylvania. D'Annunzio never met Englehardt, but he said the news of her death really affected him.