A Pennsylvania "street preacher" who mysteriously disappeared more than three decades ago was found alive in a nursing home in Puerto Rico, authorities and her family said Friday. 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 . 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. But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said. She says she's been unable to speak to the elder sibling on the phone because she cannot hold a conversation, given her dementia. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office is still working to determine Christine Englehardt's cause of death after the young woman's semi-nude body was discovered Thursday at the Albion Hotel. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Smith said her sister quit her job at the glass company after 10 years because of migraines that doctors blamed on stress. They are currently being held without bond. "Shock. By last year, a social worker at the home had enough information to alert authorities back home about the now-83-year-old woman. March 03, 2023 at 10:52 am EST. Police allegedly found the womans phone and green pills in Taylors possession, the Herald reports. "She was the person you brought in that lit up the whole room. 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. "I went through a lot," said Bob Kopta, a retired truck driver. "I come home one night, and she's just gone," Bob Kopta told the AP. All Rights Reserved. "To lose your child just to go down for a little vacation," Doreen said . A DNA test has confirmed her identity, Kohlhepp said. Both men were held without bond. "She could have come home at any time. All Rights Reserved. RELATED: Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. A DNA test has confirmed her identity, Kohlhepp said. Bucks County woman found dead in Miami hotel room remembered . . A detective testified hotel video showed the woman was staggering as they walked into the elevator at the hotel, the Herald reports. A possible drug overdose was suspected. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Alleged Miami Beach Serial Rapist Facing More Charges After 5th Accuser Comes Forward. 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. 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. ___ AP researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York. 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. Theyre also accused of stealing her credit cards and using them at several locations across Miami Beach. An undated photo of Christine Englehardt, 24, who authorities say. He added that one of the defendants actually helped hold her up as they went up to her hotel room. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. When your wife goes missing, youre a suspect.. 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. March 24, 2021, 12:10 AM. She then got a job as an elevator operator at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. All rights reserved. She said something about seeing an angel there, Smith recalled. Kopta, now 86, recalled how they met near a river in Pittsburgh where he had a boat. In 1972, they married. 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. "If you please let my brother come home and let our family handle the situation appropriately we will do whatever is necessary that Miami-Dade County asks of us. Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. Bob Kopta reported his wife, Patricia, missing in 1992. Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. filled in details of Koptas life at the news conference and in telephone interviews Friday with The Associated Press. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code, Vast majority of U.S. homes are unaffordable to the average buyer. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Collier and Taylor will reportedly be arraigned in about three weeks. Warner Bros. Entertainment | If investigators find the pill led to her death, the suspects could face manslaughter or murder charges. 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. 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. I thought maybe she had died.. The Miami Herald quotes the police report: The fact that the victim was under the influence of alcohol and narcotics, she could not have consented to sex with the defendants.. 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. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. She was a . If investigators find the pill that led to her death, the suspects could face manslaughter or murder charges. 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. March 3, 2023, 4:10 PM PST. Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found dead on March 18. 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. Both Collier and Taylor have been appointed public defenders for the time being. 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. Christine Englehardt of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, died Thursday morning after being found at the Albion Hotel on Miami Beach during spring break, police said By NBC10 Staff Published March . He gave her and her friends a ride and fell in love. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, were both charged with burglary with assault or battery; sexual battery; credit card fraud; and theft. A Pittsburgh woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who . The men are also accused of stealing her cell phone, cash and credit cards once Englehardt was unconscious, according to a judge. So he published ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, but never got a response. 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. She just loved the ocean, the beach, the warm sunshine, Smith told the AP. The men are accused of drugging, sexually assaulting and stealing from 24-year-old Christine Englehardt, who was later found dead in her Miami Beach hotel room. "It's a sad thing, but it's a relief off my mind," her husband said. Shortly afterward, Kopta began preaching and was briefly institutionalized after doctors diagnosed her with delusions of grandeur and said she had signs of schizophrenia. 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. I come home one night, and shes just gone, Bob Kopta told the AP. I went through a lot, said Bob Kopta, a retired truck driver. I went through a lot, said Bob Kopta, a retired truck driver. The suspects are accused of stealing cash, credit cards and the womans phone and leaving her in her room without any concern for her welfare or safety.. In 1972, they married. The medical examiner has not made a ruling on the cause of death as toxicology results are pending, officials said. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. 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 twin sister of Patricia Kopta died without knowing her fellow twin was still alive. Thats when family members noticed a change in her. Samantha DiFrancesco, a close friend of Englehardt's, said she was a "genuinely good person.". Is it Patricia?. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead at the Albion Hotel on James Avenue in Miami Beach on Thursday, March 18. But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said. "This is the last person I would ever think this would happen to. Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. 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. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office did not release a cause of death. Two North Carolina men are accused of drugging and raping the Pennsylvania woman. Surveillance video reportedly shows two men entering the Albion Hotel with the victim and later leaving without her. Sign up to receive breaking True Crime Daily news, exclusive stories and behind-the-scenes info. The missing person case of Patricia Kopta has been solved. 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Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer', 2 men accused of drugging, raping Bucks County woman found dead in Miami hotel room. Kopta, now 86, recalled how they met near a river in Pittsburgh where he had a boat. Chris. Her laugh was the most contagious laugh," said DiFrancesco. Investigators believe the suspects gave the victim a green pill to drug her. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, both of North Carolina, were arrested over the weekend and charged with sexual battery and burglary. A pair of tourists in South Beach for spring break have been charged with drugging and raping a woman who was later found dead in a hotel. She was a . The disappearance stumped authorities and family alike. They are charged with sexual battery as well. + Caption. Crowds continue to pack South Beach and even with an 8 p.m. curfew, law enforcement has their hands full. (Ross Township Police . Miami Beach's commission meets and decides to extend a curfew and causeway closures for at least the next three weekends while out-of-town crowds gather in the city. Christine Englehardt, 24, of Pennsylvania was found dead in her Miami Beach hotel room. Five-time Emmy Award-winning newscaster Calvin Hughes anchors WPLG-Local 10's 4, 5, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts. Years went by with no sign of her. They are currently being held without bond. MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Investigators have released new video in the case of a young Pennsylvania woman who was found dead inside a South Beach hotel room during . If the drug they are alleged to have given to Englehardt is proven to have played a role in her death, they could also be facing a manslaughter or murder charge. But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said. By last year, a social worker at the home had enough information to alert authorities back home about the now-83-year-old woman. Surveillance cameras from the Albion Hotel in South Beach show her with the two men around 1 a.m. that morning. Smith, on the other hand, wants to go to the island to see her older sister. A woman who police say died after being drugged and raped in a Miami Beach hotel room was visiting Florida from the Philadelphia suburbs. 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. Elizabeth Khamermesh remembered her high school friend Englehardt as a bright person with dreams. "She said something about seeing an angel there," Smith recalled. Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. The disappearance stumped authorities and family alike. According to police, the body of Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found on March 18. Its a sad thing, but its a relief off my mind, her husband said. ___ AP researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York. 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. According to the Miami Herald: The arrests come as Miami Beach police and city officials have been grappling with the overwhelming spring break crowds, instituting an 8 p.m. curfew aimed at cracking down on rowdy revelers on the streets. March 3, 2023 / 2:29 PM When your wife goes missing, youre a suspect.. When there was a baseball game going on, when a concert was going on, she would be talking to people," Bob Kopta said about his wife. I come home one night, and shes just gone, Bob Kopta told the AP. To think she went through what she went through, it's sickening; it's sick," DiFrancesco said. The men are accused of stealing the dead woman's credit cards to help fund their South Beach vacation, the report says. "This is the last person I would ever think this would happen to. According to authorities, the body of Christine Englehardt was found last Thursday. Englehardt came from Pennsylvania to Miami Beach for spring break. Both men matched the description given to police and were stopped and detained by detectives Sunday. MIAMI, Fla. (WFLA) A woman was found dead at a Florida hotel after she was allegedly drugged and raped by two spring breakers who stole her credit cards to spend money on their trip, police said. All rights reserved. MIAMI, Fla. (WGHP) A Pennsylvania man who was wanted after a woman was found dead in a North Carolina hotel earlier this week was found and arrested in Miami, Florida, according to the Davie . According to police, the body of Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found on March 18. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. ALSO SEE: Miami Beach chaos isnt all college spring breakers. Kohlhepp said those who knew her in Puerto Rico finally made the connection and contacted Ross Township police, CBS Pittsburgh reported. Taylor and Collier appeared in court Monday and are being held with no bond. To think she went through what she went through, it's sickening; it's sick," DiFrancesco said. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Miami Beach police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found barricaded in a hotel room she reportedly shared with her now-missing boyfriend. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- 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. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The men are also accused of stealing her cell phone, cash and credit cards once Englehardt was unconscious, according to a judge. 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. Recommended Stories Business Insider GOP Gov. 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. But on March 18, the Bucks County, Pennsylvania woman was found dead in her hotel room while on vacation in Miami Beach. Meanwhile, Patricia Kopta apparently was wandering the island's northern towns of Naranjito, Corozal and Toa Alta, located just southwest of the capital of San Juan. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Detectives said that one of the defendants admitted to having sex with Englehardt. 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. By Lauren Silver, Cox Media Group National Content Desk. So he published ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, but never got a response. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Online jail records did not indicate whether the two had an attorney who could speak for them. 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. / CBS/AP. Patricia Kopta, Pittsburgh street preacher missing since 1992, found alive in Puerto Rico 02:03. He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. "I thought maybe she had died. In partnership with Smith, on the other hand, wants to go to the island to see her older sister. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All rights reserved, died after being drugged and raped in a Miami Beach hotel room. "She would always hang out down in Pittsburgh where things were going on. The victim was identified by authorities as 24-year-old. A possible drug overdose was suspected. She died in South Beach hotel - Miami Herald, Men visiting Miami Beach drugged and raped woman who later died, police say - WPLG, Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Inmate Search. Police arrested Dorian Taylor, 24, and Evoire Collier, 21, both from North Carolina. "Every time they'd find a body somewhere (I wondered), 'Is it Patricia? That's when family members noticed a change in her. Mourners were gathering outside of the Albion Hotel, where 24-year-old Christine Englehardt was discovered dead on March 19 after officials say she was drugged and raped by two tourists. 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. By Antonio Planas and The Associated Press. 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 . . Miami Beach chaos isnt all college spring breakers. 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. MIAMI BEACH, Fla. Two men vacationing in South Beach for spring break are charged with drugging and raping a woman who was later found dead in a hotel. They are currently being held without bond. Thats when family members noticed a change in her. The Marion County Sheriff's Office did not name the woman . 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. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, are accused of stealing the womans credit cards. Her husband, Bob Kopta, and her surviving sister, 78-year-old Gloria Smith. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. Mourners laid flowers in a vigil Friday for the Pennsylvania woman who was found dead inside a Miami Beach hotel room. 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. It was total shock," her surviving sister Gloria Smith said. "I didn't believe it. Christine Englehardt was found dead in a Miami Beach hotel room. The Miami Herald reports the 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found "semi nude" and dead Thursday in her hotel room in Miami Beach. Years went by with no sign of her. Investigators say she was drugged and raped by two men. To think that someone would do this to her, she was young too, said Hailey Davis, the victims friend. Miami Beach police arrested Dorian Taylor, 24, and Evoire Collier, 21, both from North Carolina and visiting for spring break, according to investigators. According to authorities, the. So he published ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, but never got a response. We didn't expect it and it was a very big shock to find out she was alive, and we are so happy and I hope I can get down to see her.". If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. She Was Just Found in Puerto Rico, Actor Tom Sizemore, of Saving Private Ryan,' Dies at 61. 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. She would vacation often in Puerto Rico with her friends before she got married, Smith recalled. Missing Pennsylvania woman found alive after more than 30 years. Every time theyd find a body somewhere (I wondered), Is it Patricia? She says shes been unable to speak to the elder sibling on the phone because she cannot hold a conversation given her dementia. If that is determined to be the case, the suspects could face a manslaughter or murder charge. He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. D'Annunzio never met Englehardt, but he said the news of her death really affected him. Last year, a social worker at the home alerted authorities back home about the now-83-year-old woman. If investigators find the pill that led to her death, the suspects could face manslaughter or murder charges. She says shes been unable to speak to the elder sibling on the phone because she cannot hold a conversation given her dementia. Total shock," Gloria Smith said of learning the news. According to police, the body of Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found on March 18. Upon her release, she kept preaching until she vanished in 1992. Evoire Collier (left) and Dorian Taylor (right) were both charged with burglary with assault or battery; sexual battery; credit card fraud; and theft. Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. Smith said her sister quit her job at the glass company after 10 years because of migraines that doctors blamed on stress. "She was the person you brought in that lit up the whole room. Mourners were gathering outside of the Albion Hotel, where. Soldier Gets 45 Years for Helping Neo-Nazi Group in Plot to Kill Troops, Jan. 6 Rioter Guilty of Stealing Badge and Radio From Beaten Officer, 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. Years went by with no sign of her. -- 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. The men are also accused of stealing her cell phone, cash and credit cards once Englehardt was unconscious, according to a judge.
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