SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - A second man wanted in connection with a brutal beating Sunday at an apartment complex surrendered to authorities Thursday morning.
Christopher Scott, 18, who lives at 204 University Drive, Schuylkill Haven, was arraigned on four felony counts involving assault and robbery.
On Tuesday, police arrested Christopher Cheese, 19, of 1801 W. Market St., Pottsville, for his role in the attack that sent three men to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.
Scott was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $100,000 straight cash bail. Cheese was arraigned Tuesday by Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker and committed to prison unable to post $250,000 straight cash bail.
The victims were identified as Julian E. Coutourieri, Michael Williams, Sammuel Haiger and Jaquon Wilson. Wilson was not injured in the attack, McDonald said in his affidavit of probable cause.
Schuylkill Haven police Patrolman Vince McDonald, the arresting officer, said Scott and Cheese were part of a group of at least 15 people that stormed into the off-campus housing apartment building and attacked four men sending three of them - Coutourieri, Williams and Haiger - to the trauma center at Lehigh Valley Hospital.
In his affidavit of probable cause, McDonald said Cheese, Scott and the others arrived at the complex in two different vehicles just after 8 p.m., went inside and brutally beat Coutourieri, Williams and Haiger causing severe head injuries to all three.
The group returned to the apartment where Wilson was and allegedly stole a laptop computer, a cellphone and an iPod.
McDonald said police did not initially know who committed the attacks, but on Monday obtained surveillance video from Penn State Schuylkill from the security cameras at the apartment building.
McDonald said he and Patrolman Glenn Firing reviewed the videotapes with Wilson and Coutourieri who both identified Cheese and Scott as two of the people entering the apartment complex.
On Sunday, Sgt. Robert Phillips said police believed the incident stemmed from a pickup basketball game held days earlier at the campus between a group of students from the Philadelphia area and students from the New York City area.
Both McDonald and Phillips said more arrests are expected as the investigation into the incident continues.