4 to be charged in Shenandoah beating death

James Goodman, Schuylkill County District Attorney, says four people will be charged in the death of immigrant Luis Ramirez, Shenandoah. Three will be charged as adults, the fourth as a juvenile.The suspects are scheduled for arraignment in Port Carbon at 10 a.m. Friday.Goodman says he will provide more information at a news conference.

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NOTE: The AP is reporting 3 will be charged. The difference may lie in that 3 will be charged as adults and the fourth will be charged as juvenile.

UPDATE: From the Pottsville-Republican

Two teens were charged with homicide in connection with the July 12 beating and subsequent death of Luis Eduardo Ramirez Zavala in Shenandoah. A third faces other charges related to the incident.

Brandon Piekarsky, 16 and Colin Walsh, 17, both of Shenandoah, are incarcerated in Schuylkill County Prison after being arraigned before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon on Friday morning.

Piekarsky and Walsh are both charged with one count each of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault, and ethnic intimidation.

Piekarsky is also charged with criminal solicitation to hinder apprehension or prosecution, and purchase or consumption of alcohol by a minor.

Derrick Donchak, 18, also of Shenandoah, is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, criminal solicitation to hinder apprehension or prosecution, ethnic intimidation, corruption of minors, purchase or consumption of alcohol by a minor, and selling or furnishing alcohol to minors.

Walsh and Piekarsky were sent to Schuylkill County Prison without bail. Donchak was incarcerated after he was unable to post 10 percent of $75,000 bail.

A fourth person is expected to be charged as a juvenile.

A preliminary hearing has been set for Walsh, Piekarsky and Donchak at 10 a.m. Aug. 4 before Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker in Shenandoah.