MORGANTOWN — A trio of men accused of armed home invasion, a WVU student who allegedly bit someone’s ear off in a fight and a WVU student indicted for sexually abusing two men, all pleaded not guilty in front of Monongalia County Circuit Court Judge Russell Clawges.
Thursday was the last day of arraignments for those indicted by the January 2019 term of the Monongalia County grand jury, which returned 132 indictments.
Alvin A. Hines, 27, of Cohasset, Minn., Jason M. Nicholson, 31, of Mount Clare, and Jay M. Bowman, 26, of Jane Lew, were indicted on charges of burglary, first-degree robbery and conspiracy for robbing a home on Pedlar Run Road, Nov. 25, 2018.
According to a criminal complaint:
A woman told deputies a man broke into her house, showed her a gun and started walking around the house taking things. The robber then left in a car parked at the bottom of her driveway, she said.
Tracking a stolen cellphone, deputies found two cars parked on the side of the road near Number 8 Hollow.
Hines, Nicholson and Bowman said they were together in a black Toyota Celica and told deputies the car broke down. The other vehicle came to pick them up, the three said. The second vehicle’s driver confirmed their story and added the three men started loading items from the Celica into her car.
One of the men had a cellphone that matched the description given by the victim. A smart TV and HP laptop were found in the second car. The second vehicle’s driver said they did not belong to her and the items were some of those loaded into her car.
A dark revolver matching the description given by the victim was found under the driver’s seat of the Celica.
The victim identified Hines as the burglar in a lineup.
Clawges lowered bond for Hines from $250,000 to $75,000 and Bowman from $100,000 to $30,000. Both are being held in North Central Regional Jail.
Nicholson previously posted bond of $100,000.
Dean Schrantz, 20, of Manahawkin, N.J., pleaded not guilty to strangulation and malicious assault.
Schrantz was accused of putting his victim in a headlock until he passed out and then biting off part of his victim’s ear while he was unconscious.
The incident happened Oct. 2, 2018, at University Place on University Avenue.
When the responding WVU Police officer arrived, the victim was sitting in a kitchen bleeding, a criminal complaint stated. The piece of the missing ear was in a bag on ice.
The victim told the officer he was in an altercation with Schrantz and Schrantz put him in a headlock until he passed out.
When the victim woke up, he was bleeding from his ear, part of his ear was missing and his girlfriend was standing over him asking him if he was OK, he told the officer.
Mohammed Ahmed Algharrash, 24, of Morgantown, was indicted for two counts of first-degree sexual abuse.
The first alleged victim opened his door in Boreman South after Algharrash knocked. He asked if someone was there and was told by the victim that no one was there by that name and he was the only one there. Algharrash blocked the door from being shut and grabbed the victim’s groin “making contact with his penis.”
The second incident happened Nov. 25 at the WVU Student Recreation Center. The alleged victim entered the locker room where his stuff was stored, and Algharrash was in the room. The victim then showered and when he returned Algharrash was still in the room and approached the victim while mumbling.
Algharrash then grabbed the alleged victim around the waist, pulled him toward him and kissed the victim’s nipple. The victim left the locker room and went to the parking lot followed by Algharrash.
Video showed both incidents had the same suspect, and Algharrash was identified through his student ID card, which he swiped to get into the rec center Nov. 25.
Schrantz and Algharrash are both listed as WVU students on WVU’s directory.
Arrest warrants were issued for Lamonte Rayford, Alexander Sanger and Christopher Wilson for failing to show.
Twitter @WillDean_DP
WDean@DominionPost.com
