Guilty plea in Coatesville robbery

WEST CHESTER >> The gunman at the head of a home invasion robbery who threatened to shoot and kill three people and kidnap two of them pleaded guilty to robbery and conspiracy charges Tuesday.

Tyreek A. Brickus, 19, of Coatesville, entered the open pleas before Common Pleas Judge Phyllis Streitel, who will sentence him at a later date.

She ordered that a pre-sentencing investigation be completed to give her a better picture of his background.

According to Assistant District Attorney Andrea Cardamone, who is prosecuting Brickus and his three alleged accomplices in the crime, Brickus held three people at gunpoint inside a home in the 300 block of East Chestnut Street in Coatesville in the early morning hours of May 8.

Coatesville police were able to interrupt the robbery while it was in progress after one of the victims was able to surreptitiously call 911, and the emergency call taker recognized what was happening and alerted police dispatchers.

Cardamone told Streitel that Brickus’ voice could be heard on the 911 recording threatening to shoot one of the victims in the head. Brickus was accompanied by his attorney, Evan Kelly of West Chester, during the brief proceeding before Streitel.

Officer George Carlson arrived at the scene of the robbery as Brickus was apparently trying to force two of the victims into the truck of a car belonging to one of them — with the intent of driving them to another location where he thought he would be able to steal more than the $200 he had taken from inside the home.

Carlson chased Brickus and the young man ran from the scene through backyards, dumping the handgun he used in the robbery, ammunition, and a mask he wore as he fled. His three alleged accomplices — Donique Griffy, 20; Basil Simms, 23; and Hector Tirado, 20 — were stopped a short while later after one of the victims told officers that the car they were in had been at the scene just before the robbery occurred.

The three accomplices are awaiting trial. All are being held in lieu of bail at Chester County Prison.