Belle Vernon man charged with assault and robbing his neighbor out of $20
A Belle Vernon man has been charged with assault and robbery after allegedly pinning a woman down in a chair and stealing $20 from her.
The North Belle Vernon Police Department filed charges against Teemon Dale Vernet, 33, including robbery — inflict threat of immediate bodily injury, simple assault, theft by unlawful taking, resisting arrest and harassment before on-call Magisterial District Judge Chris Flanigan over the weekend.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Vernet went to the home of Kathy Jo Collinet along Ella Street in North Belle Vernon around 5 p.m. July 14 and asked if he could use her phone.
Collinet only knew Vernet’s first name because he did yard work for her last year, but she told police that she was afraid of him, so she brought out her cellphone to the porch for him to use and not let him in the house as she also suspected him of taking her money in the past.
Vernet then asked Collinet for a drink, and she brought him a glass of iced tea, but he then asked her if she had any extra money.
When she said she didn’t have the money, Vernet then approached her as she sat in her chair and said to her, “You always got money” and then put his right hand over her left arm and attempted to pin her to the chair and reached into her shorts’ pocket.
Collinet screamed and attempted to stand up, but then Vernet pulled down her shorts and pulled out $20 from her pocket.
Collinet’s minor son told police he saw Vernet take the money from Collinet, push her in the chair and flee on foot on Ella Street.
Police along with police departments from Rostraver and Monessen searched for Vernet based on Collinet’s knowledge of the street where Vernet resided.
There, they knocked at the residence several times with no answer, but another officer radioed and said that someone was coming to the back door, which then a struggle occurred as police had Vernet pinned to the floor and sofa as he allegedly failed to obey commands to put his hands behind his back.
Once in custody, Vernet denied taking money from Collinet as he said he was selling her pills, but when police took him to be identified by Collinet, Vernet said to her, “I’m sorry.”
Vernet is lodged in the Westmoreland County Prison in with bail set at $50,000.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Vernet before Magisterial District Judge Charles Christner at 10:15 a.m. Aug. 6.