MOUNT CARMEL - A Mount Carmel man was arraigned Wednesday after he attempted to lure two teenage girls into his apartment in June.
Romuald Gawryjolek, 56, of 206 S. Oak St., Mount Carmel, was charged with two counts each of luring a child into a motor vehicle or structure, corruption of minors, criminal attempt to furnish liquor or brewed beverages to minors and a citation of public drunkenness Wednesday. He was taken into custody by Constable Larry Rompallo, but released a few hours later after posting $15,000 cash bail.
Mount Carmel Borough Police Patrolman David J. Donkochik reported in court documents that two teen girls approached him at 6:20 p.m. June 4, while he was on patrol at Fourth and Oak streets. They said they were walking to a residence in the 200 block of South Oak Street when Gawryjolek allegedly approached them and began asking them to come upstairs to his apartment for drinks.
When the girls refused, Gawryjolek said he would pay them to come upstairs. The girls left the area and looked for a police officer.
As Donkochik went into the apartment building, he saw a man who matched the girls' description. When Donkochik asked the man, later identified as Gawryjolek, if he had contact with two girls recently, Gawryjolek said he had asked them to come up to his apartment for drinks.
Donkochik asked him what he was going to serve them; Gawryjolek said beer. When told that the girls were 16 years of age, the suspect said he thought they were 18 years old. When pressed further, Gawryjolek stopped answering questions and appeared to be very nervous, police said.
When Donkochik escorted Gawryjolek to his apartment, Donkochik said several pornographic magazines and video tapes were in plain view in the living room.
During his arraignment, Gawryjolek, a Polish immigrant, had a tough time understanding the proceedings. After posting bail, he was ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing before Jones on Wednesday, Jan. 4.