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Suspect in Monroeville Mall heists has sex assault record

Gideon Bradshaw | Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015, 12:01 a.m.
Demetryiass Holyfield
Allegheny County Courts
Demetryiass Holyfield

A Penn Hills man was awaiting formal sentencing on sexual assault charges in Westmoreland County when police say he robbed two stores in Monroeville Mall on New Year's Day.

Monroeville police arrested Demetryiass L. Holyfield, 21, and charged him with robbery, theft and receiving stolen property in the robberies mall employees reported about 11:30 a.m.

Holyfield passed orange sticky notes saying he had a gun to employees in Work 'N Gear and Things Remembered, Monroeville police said. He got $975 from the two stores and passed another note to an employee in Christopher and Banks, but fled when the employee couldn't open the register, according to the criminal complaint.

Police stopped Holyfield in a car on Monroeville Mall Boulevard.

The complaint makes no mention of police finding any weapons when they arrested Holyfield.

Attorney David J. Shrager, who is representing Holyfield, said Friday afternoon that he hadn't spoken to his client about the most recent charges.

Holyfield pleaded guilty in October to charges of statutory sexual assault and corruption of a minor in the Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court and was sentenced to one year of house arrest and three years of probation, based on charges Jeannette police filed in November 2013. A formal sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14, according to court records.

Shrager said the new charges shouldn't change anything about Holyfield's sentence.

“Legally, that should have no impact on sentencing,” Shrager said, adding that the more recent charges are still allegations.

Monroeville police Chief Doug Cole said Holyfield has been implicated in other robberies in the region, including at Dollar General stores in Sharpsburg and Apollo, Armstrong County, and the Life Uniform store in Ross.

“Thanks to the good police work of Monroeville, we had an opportunity to speak with him, and we anticipate charging him with our robbery,” said Ross Detective Brian Kohlhepp.

Apollo police Sgt. Jared Kier said Holyfield robbed the Family Dollar stores in Apollo and Sharpsburg.

“He admitted to the detective that he had robbed them, too,” Kier said.

Ross and Apollo had not filed charges against Holyfield on Friday. Sharpsburg police could not be reached for comment.

Staff writers Bill Vidonic and Chuck Biedka contributed to this report. Gideon Bradshaw is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-871-2369 or gbradshaw@tribweb.com.

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