About
May 20, 2009
A 16-year-old young man allegedly lures a young woman to a secluded area, beats her over the head with a hammer and then throws himself in front of an on-coming streetcar, known in Pittsburgh as the T. Nearly 18 months have transpired, the young man remains under house arrest, not in jail, and a judge has ruled that he will be tried as a juvenile, despite the original adult charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault. The Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappalla refuses to appeal the decision, despite the fact that the judge chastised the prosecution for not providing victim’s impact statements or information about what the potential impact on the community could be if he is prematurely released.
The victim in this case, Sarah DeIuliis, has permanent damage to her eye caused by a hammer-wielding attacker, and emotionally, she remains fragile. If Robertino DeAngelis, the suspected attacker, is tried as a juvenile, he’ll be free in three years or less, put back on the streets of Mt. Lebanon and Pittsburgh to again torment his neighbors and family. And if he is tried as a juvenile, his record will be expunged when he turns 21. This is criminal.
We plead for your urgent assistance.
Contact the District Attorney at feedback@da.allegheny.pa.us or 412-350-4400 and implore him to appeal Judge Anthony Mariani’s ruling to try DeAngelis as an adult. Please act quickly. Time is of the essence.
I am from the area and have followed this case very closely since it came about on Halloween 07. It’s a terrible, terrible thing that Robertino did, and what he may have done would have been much worse.
That said, I feel that this is wrong. The American and Pennsylvanian judicial systems are in place for a reason. While your desire for an adult trial is very understandable and reasonable given your emotional investment in the case, I don’t think it’s right to attempt to manipulate the justice system like this. On top of that, it’s harassing the other members of the family who have done nothing wrong.
America has a viable way of dealing with these cases. Just let the people trained and elected to decide these matters do their jobs.
WOW, I am surprised. Sometimes the justice system does not work and hasn’t for years in tems of RD. He has harassed, attacked and caused other violent acts in the past and the system has overlooked them. This is not a one time thing for RD. The family is responsible for their son and they haven’t done anything to get him off the streets and protect the community. So they are just as responsible if not, more so. “… the family who have done nothing wrong.”-by standing by and doing nothing, they have allowed many to run in fear of their child for years.
Sarah’s family is doing what is right to protect their daughter.
It is because of apathetic people like you that politics and the american justice system is so screwed up. Just because someone is put in a position of power, especially when elected, doesnt mean that they automatically, instinctually know what the right things are to do. It is up to citizens to monitor and make sure that elected officials, lawmakers, judicial representatives, all work toward making the system as good as it can be and called to task if they dont. The world is rife with examples of mistakes made by elected officials and others put into positions of power that affect all american citizens. Just because the beaurocratic system has been established doesnt mean that it always makes the right decisions for the good of the people. Ugh!
Anonymous from 8:05pm Do you know that one judge did send this to adult court? The defendants got to appeal and then another judge sent it back to juvenile. The victims family should be able to appeal — the D.A’s office doesn’t want to spend the money. Zappala should appeal.
That’s a very narrow-minded observation. Sarah doesn’t have permanent physical damage and she can walk around, get a driver’s license, and all the other things we take for granted. But she now has permanent emotional scars that can never be measured in terms of how it will effect her for the rest of her life. On top of that she probably now has to live in fear as long as RD gets to walk around without any REAL punishment.
Apologies, I thought I was responding to a different comment, and it got posted here.
No permanent physical injuries?
One eye is permanently recessed in her skull; scars tatter the back of her head beneath her hair, fingers and hands as a result of defensive wounds, continue to attempt to heal.
A hammer leaves a mark.
A steel toed boot, leaves a mark.
A near brush with death, leaves a mark.
The scars, the physical hurts are there. Just because she has the grace to conduct herself through this violent predatory attack, do not believe for a moment, that it has left her unscathed or our community unscathed.
I completely agree with anonymous 10:18am posting. The justice system has failed in this case and the elected officials are not doing their jobs. Most in this area will remember the incompentence in this specific case when election day arrives.
So, one of this boy’s parents is a lawyer. Oh, now I see. Man, he must have kept that daddy-lawyer awfully busy. I’ll bet the Nixon Administration could’ve taken some tips from them on cover-up.
With all of the effort they had to have spent on getting him out of trouble all the time and always trying to blame it on someone else…why didn’t they expend some energy on putting their son in a place that could offer him help or at least keep him from acting out with weapons against his neighborhood.
33 year old mother of three 11, 10, & 2. I agree that you must be devastated that your beautiful daughter was so brutally attacked. But I also disagree with trying a juvenile as an adult. If we continue to give on this issue, pretty soon we will be locking up our toddlers. 18 means 18. If you commit a crime the day before your 18th birthday, then you should be tried as a juvenile. If I was out celebrating the night before my 21st birthday and wanted to buy beer, I couldn’t because I wasn’t 21 yet. If Election Day was held the day before my 18th birthday, then I couldn’t vote! Unfortunately we want our children to be children until it’s convenient for us – then they must be adults. I know that some kids do perform adult acts, but we MUST set a legal adult age and stick to it. Again, I am very sorry for your daughter and wish you all the best!!
When the defendant was originally charged as an adult, the charges were attempted homicide and aggravated assault. Attempted homicide is not a juvenile crime. By your logic, had the perpetrators of the Columbine massacre lived, they would have been tried as juveniles. Unfortunately, the world is not black and white.
Like I said in my next to last sentence, Juveniles DO sometimes perform ADULT acts and yes I do believe the Columbine JUVENILES if they had lived should have been tried as JUVENILES!! The reason or “logic” as you called it being that they were juveniles as defined by our laws. If you want people under 18 to be tried as adults then the laws have to be changed to classify them as adults in everything, not just when it is convenient for you!!
Wow. You think the people responsible for Columbine should’ve had a clean record once they reached 21? That’s truly insane.
I wonder how your opinion would change if one of your kids were attacked or killed? It shouldn’t have to happen to one of yours for objectivity and fairness.
I will remember Zappalla’s name – and not in a favorable way.
I have thought about how I would feel if it were one of my own children. I don’t know how I would feel or react to one of my children being hurt or killed, but I know it wouldn’t be a “nice” reaction. That being said, I still, no matter what, think that we should change the laws to allow 12-18 yr olds be legal adults or stop trying them as adults. We must choose to either let them be children or adults. Can’t have it one way until we feel it should be another.
Awaiting moderation, you keep using the term butt-hurt Mt. Lebo soccer mom. I am sure you are the same anonymous poster as before who has no real grasp on the situation. But, hey maybe you can bring this up tomorrow at your kegger.
My neice, Sarah, has been a joy to our family from the day she was born. I can’t begin to say how sorry I am that she has undergone this ordeal. I am eternally grateful that she survived this without physical scars. I am extremely proud that she has managed to maintain a stellar grade-point average and was accepted into one of the finest colleges in the country. By all accounts, Sarah would have a bright and happy future ahead of her.
While I wish that she could move on without this tragic incident defining or haunting her, I am afraid that is not practical. Her future will always be threatened by the possibility of another attack. It is easy to suggest that she “move on” — I for one want nothing more — but I don’t think it is feasible to think that her life will be “happy ever after” as long as there is a chance she could be targeted again. “Ever after” what?
For me, it’s not about revenge, it is not about justice. It’s not about defending a principle. It’s about minimizing the risk.
Under the current scenario, that risk remains great. And the victimization is greater. Regardless of what the justice system proclaims, the victim is always innocent — there is no reason to prove guilt and no need for reasonable doubt. As long as the threat exists, the victim recieves her own prison sentence, which will never expire, no matter how old she gets.
That is the real tragedy.
Across the miles, Princeton, NJ
When you suffer a murderous attack with a hammer, it leaves scars, both physical and psychological. Just because this young lady has the grace to cover hers with her long hair and her brave smile…do not doubt for a moment that they exist — a hammer leaves its mark.
And a predator should be removed from the possiblity of ever being in a position to cause such harm again.
Bravo to “Lock’im up” from May 29.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
This murderous attack will indeed leave lasting scars.
It’s bad enough being a victim. Having to look over your shoulder for the rest of your life– wondering if your predator is nearby– constantly living in fear– is a terrible punishment for an innocent victim. I know this young lady, and her family, quite well. She’s a kind, bright and talented individual who deserves a whole lot better than the DA’s delivered thus far.
Try her attacker as an adult– and you give the victim a chance to heal.
I am so sorry for everyone involved. I am praying that justice will be served in this case.
This is insane. This man needs to be removed from society before he can hurt anyone else.