Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. The victim was identified by authorities as 24-year-old Christine Englehardt from Pennsylvania. Miami Beach police say the woman was found partly nude and lifeless inside her room at the Albion on James Avenue on Thursday. Strangers leave roses in front of the hotel where police say a female tourist was drugged, raped and left to die @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/NtnnzwSUZS. Terms of Use | 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. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. So he published ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, but never got a response. He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. Both Collier and Taylor have been appointed public defenders for the time being. Two North Carolina men face charges in the case. One investigator said that a court surveillance video shows the suspects holding the victim up and that the video made it clear she was unable to consent. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. A detective testified hotel video showed the woman was staggering as they walked into the elevator at the hotel, the Herald reports. Police went as far as to consult a psychic, while Kopta recalled his wife once mentioned she would like to go to Puerto Rico because of its balmy weather. 1 min read. When your wife goes missing, youre a suspect.. Bob Kopta, who did not remarry, said he doesnt plan to visit, and that hes now trying to forget the past, though hes glad to know shes being taken care of. She said something about seeing an angel there, Smith recalled. Investigators believe the suspects gave the victim a green pill to drug her. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. Miami Beach police arrested Dorian Taylor, 24, and Evoire Collier, 21, both from North Carolina and visiting for spring break, according to investigators. When your wife goes missing, youre a suspect.. 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. Crowds continue to pack South Beach and even with an 8 p.m. curfew, law enforcement has their hands full. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, were both charged with burglary with assault or battery; sexual battery; credit card fraud; and theft. "To lose your child just to go down for a little vacation," Doreen said . 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. ROSS TWP., Pennsylvania -- A Pennsylvania woman missing for more than three decades has been found alive in Puerto Rico. Thats when family members noticed a change in her. Investigators believe the suspects gave the victim a green pill to drug her. 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. 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. 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. The men are also accused of stealing her cell phone, cash and credit cards once Englehardt was unconscious, according to a judge. 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. Christine Englehardt, 24, of Pennsylvania was found dead in her Miami Beach hotel room. ROSS TWP., Pennsylvania -- A Pennsylvania woman missing for more than three decades has been found alive in Puerto Rico. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Alleged Miami Beach Serial Rapist Facing More Charges After 5th Accuser Comes Forward. Two North Carolina men are accused of drugging and raping the Pennsylvania woman. Her husband, Bob Kopta, and her surviving sister, 78-year-old Gloria Smith. 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. The Medical Examiner has not made a ruling on the cause of death as they are still awaiting toxicology results, officials said. By Antonio Planas and The Associated Press. 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. 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. 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. "She was the person you brought in that lit up the whole room. Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. I went through a lot, said Bob Kopta, a retired truck driver. Christine . Upon her release, she kept preaching until she vanished in 1992. Englehardt came from Pennsylvania to Miami Beach for spring break. ", Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. filled in details of Koptas life at the news conference and in telephone interviews Friday with The Associated Press. Shortly afterward, Kopta began preaching and was briefly institutionalized after doctors diagnosed her with "delusions of grandeur" and said she had signs of schizophrenia. Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. 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. 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. Englehardt is a graduate of Council Rock High School North and was a manager at Jules Thin Crust Pizza in Newtown. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Smith, on the other hand, wants to go to the island to see her older sister. She would vacation often in Puerto Rico with her friends before she got married, Smith recalled. Its a sad thing, but its a relief off my mind, her husband said. Christine Englehardt of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, died Thursday morning after being found at the AlbionHotel on Miami Beach, police in Florida said. 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 . "Shock. Every time theyd find a body somewhere (I wondered), Is it Patricia? Smith said her sister quit her job at the glass company after 10 years because of migraines that doctors blamed on stress. According to . "This is the last person I would ever think this would happen to. . Read full article. "Miami Beach, we have blood on our hands. Two men have been charged in connection with the incident. He gave her and her friends a ride and fell in love. Investigators believe Englehardt made contact with the suspects in a restaurant. He added that one of the defendants actually helped hold her up as they went up to her hotel room. She said something about seeing an angel there, Smith recalled. "Every time they'd find a body somewhere (I wondered), 'Is it Patricia? Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, both of North Carolina, were arrested and charged with sexual battery and burglary. A twin sister of Patricia Kopta died without knowing her fellow twin was still alive. Spring Breakers Arrested for Drugging, Raping Woman Who Later Died in Miami Hotel: Police, Police Chief Says Miami Partying Couldn't Go on Any Longer', Check Your Change! Dorian Taylor and Evoire Collier, both from North Carolina, have been charged with sexual battery as well as burglary with battery, theft and credit card fraud. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Alleged Miami Beach Serial Rapist Facing More Charges After 5th Accuser Comes Forward. Patricia Kopta, Pittsburgh street preacher missing since 1992, found alive in Puerto Rico 02:03. Recommended Stories Business Insider GOP Gov. She was a . Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Surveillance cameras from the Albion Hotel on James Avenue show Englehardt with the two men around 1 a.m. that morning. 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. A Pittsburgh woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who . She then got a job as an elevator operator at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Two men were arrested after the 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead in a South Beach hotel during spring break. 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. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead at the Albion Hotel on James Avenue in Miami Beach on Thursday, March 18. Police went as far as to consult a psychic, while Kopta recalled his wife once mentioned she would like to go to Puerto Rico because of its balmy weather. MIAMI, Fla. (WTVD) -- A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead inside a South Beach Miami hotel room after two North Carolina men drugged and raped her, police said. (Ross Township Police . During the bond hearing, Collier's sister pleaded with the judge saying he has never been in trouble before. But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said. Ad Choices. According to police, the body of Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found on March 18. Prosecutors say Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24 both of . March 3, 2023, 4:10 PM PST. "I didn't believe it. But before she began preaching, Kopta was a straight-A student who became a model and dance instructor. 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.. Investigators are trying to determine whether the victim's death resulted from a "green pill" the men supplied, but the Miami-Dade Medical Examiners Office said Monday it is conducting further tests, and no cause of death has been determined pending a toxicology report. She would vacation often in Puerto Rico with her friends before she got married, Smith recalled. In 1972, they married. To think that someone would do this to her, she was young too, said Hailey Davis, the victims friend. ALSO SEE: Miami Beach chaos isnt all college spring breakers. According to police records, surveillance footage showed the two men entering the hotel lobby Englehardt, at about 1 a.m. on Thursday, March 18, then exiting the hotel without Englehardt about 30 minutes later. Sign up to receive breaking True Crime Daily news, exclusive stories and behind-the-scenes info. They are charged with sexual battery as well. The disappearance stumped authorities and family alike. 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. "It is just very sad to see someone die so young, she didn't deserve it, it was horrible," Khamermesh. "She said something about seeing an angel there," Smith recalled. 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 . A DNA test has confirmed her identity, Kohlhepp said. Theyre also accused of stealing her credit cards and using them at several locations across Miami Beach. According to authorities, the body of. 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. 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. I thought maybe she had died.. If investigators find the pill that led to her death, the suspects could face manslaughter or murder charges. 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. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiners Office did not release a cause of death. Surveillance cameras from the Albion Hotel in South Beach show her with the two men around 1 a.m. that morning. 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. Investigators believe the suspects gave the victim a green pill to drug her. Two North Carolina residents were arrested in Miami Beach last week after a Pennsylvania woman was found dead in a hotel room days earlier. Surveillance cameras from the Albion Hotel on James Avenue show her with the two men around 1 a.m. that morning. ", First published on March 3, 2023 / 2:29 PM. Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. She just loved the ocean, the beach, the warm sunshine, Smith told the AP. Bob Kopta, who did not remarry, said he doesnt plan to visit, and that hes now trying to forget the past, though hes glad to know shes being taken care of. The Miami Herald reports Collier confessed to police that he and Taylor met the woman at a local restaurant. All rights reserved, died after being drugged and raped in a Miami Beach hotel room. Online jail records did not indicate whether the two had an attorney who could speak for them. It worked. 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. Smith, on the other hand, wants to go to the island to see her older sister. Englehardt is a graduate of Council Rock High School North and was a manager at Jules Thin Crust Pizza in Newtown, Pennsylvania. ___ AP researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, both of North Carolina, were arrested over the weekend and charged with sexual battery and burglary. Kohlhepp said those who knew her in Puerto Rico finally made the connection and contacted Ross Township police, CBS Pittsburgh reported. 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. "I come home one night, and she's just gone," Bob Kopta told the AP. 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. Bucks County woman found dead in Miami hotel room remembered . Police went as far as to consult a psychic, while Kopta recalled his wife once mentioned she would like to go to Puerto Rico because of its balmy weather. "Im severely bewildered by these charges and accusations against him, but I can attest for his character and I can attest for responsibility of him standing trial for whatever charges," his sister said. Christine Englehardt, 24, of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was found dead at the Albion Hotel in Miami Beach on March 18, 2021. 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. He gave her and her friends a ride and fell in love. Privacy Policy | "When your wife goes missing, you're a suspect.". Investigators are looking into whether Engelhardt died of a drug overdose, possibly a substance supplied by the men, who said they gave her a green pill," according to an arrest report. RELATED: Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Both men were held without bond. "I thought maybe she had died. 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. She says she's been unable to speak to the elder sibling on the phone because she cannot hold a conversation, given her dementia. Bob Kopta reported his wife, Patricia, missing in 1992. The suspects were reportedly recorded on video using the credit cards around Miami Beach, including at a liquor store. Total shock," Gloria Smith said of learning the news. One investigator said that a court surveillance video shows the suspects holding the victim up and that the video made it clear she was unable to consent. She says shes been unable to speak to the elder sibling on the phone because she cannot hold a conversation given her dementia. But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said. By Lauren Silver, Cox Media Group National Content Desk. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner told Action News that Englehardt's cause of death is "pending further studies and investigation.". "Christine is everyone's daughter, sister, girlfriend, best friend, and my heart breaks for her family," D'Annunzio said. 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. Mourners were gathering outside of the Albion Hotel, where. Upon her release, she kept preaching until she vanished in 1992. Kopta, now 86, recalled how they met near a river in Pittsburgh where he had a boat. Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found dead on March 18. The men are accused of stealing the dead woman's credit cards to help fund their South Beach vacation, the report says. Whether the two are charged with manslaughter or murder will depend on what caused her death, which a medical examiner has not yet released. 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 two men are accused of going with the woman to her hotel, where they had sex with her multiple times and once she was unconscious or out the suspects remained inside the unit and didnt call for assistance or help and began to take all her items, WPLG reports. Collier and Taylor will reportedly be arraigned in about three weeks. 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 . I come home one night, and shes just gone, Bob Kopta told the AP. She had her whole life still to do things and she had dreams and goals and all these things shell never be able to do now because of them., Investigators say the two men met their victim at a restaurant, gave her a green pill and went to her hotel where they had sex with her multiple times and once she was unconscious or out the suspects remained inside the unit and didnt call for assistance or help and began to take all her items.. Years went by with no sign of her. Last year, a social worker at the home alerted authorities back home about the now-83-year-old woman. . SEE ALSO: 2 men accused of drugging, raping Bucks County woman found dead in Miami hotel room. He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. She was a . Warner Bros. Entertainment | Is it Patricia?'". In partnership with They are currently being held without bond. So he published ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, but never got a response. But on March 18, the Bucks County, Pennsylvania woman was found dead in her hotel room while on vacation in Miami Beach. 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. 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. 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. Updated: Mar 3, 2023 / 02:26 PM EST. A Pittsburgh 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. A woman who police say died after being drugged and raped in a Miami Beach hotel room was visiting Florida from the Philadelphia suburbs. According to authorities, the. Mourners laid flowers in a vigil Friday for the Pennsylvania woman who was found dead inside a Miami Beach hotel room. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. March 03, 2023 at 10:52 am EST. If investigators find the pill that led to her death, the suspects could face manslaughter or murder charges. "We really thought she was dead all those years. Is it Patricia?. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. But before she began preaching, Kopta was a straight-A student who became a model and dance instructor. 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. Missing Pennsylvania woman found alive after more than 30 years. 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. I come home one night, and shes just gone, Bob Kopta told the AP. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead at the Albion Hotel on James Avenue in Miami Beach on Thursday, March 18. Its a sad thing, but its a relief off my mind, her husband said. In 1972, they married. May 18, 2021 / 6:48 PM / CBS Miami. D'Annunzio never met Englehardt, but he said the news of her death really affected him. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. The men are also accused of stealing her cell phone, cash and credit cards once Englehardt was unconscious, according to a judge. One investigator said that a court surveillance video shows the suspects holding the victim up and that the video made it clear she was unable to consent. Bob Kopta reported his wife, Patricia, missing in 1992. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, are accused of stealing the womans credit cards. 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.". 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. 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 . Detectives said that one of the defendants admitted to having sex with Englehardt. The Marion County Sheriff's Office did not name the woman . Her laugh was the most contagious laugh," said DiFrancesco. Her family said she suffered from mental health issues and feared being institutionalized, CBS Pittsburgh reported. The missing person case of Patricia Kopta has been solved.