Partner of gunman held for trial in gunpoint robbery

WEST CHESTER » The man with the gun sounded disappointed.

“Yo! Only seven bucks?” testified a Frazer man who authorities say was the victim of a gunpoint robbery by two men, set up by a West Chester woman who was friends with the man, at the preliminary hearing Tuesday for the gunman’s alleged partner. “I should shoot you for this.”

The victim had just handed over his wallet, inside of which the robbers expected to find several hundred dollars in cash. Instead, all that was inside was the change from $40 after his purchase of cigarettes and liquor. The gunman, identified as Nathan Tashan Westley, was surprised to see only the few dollars inside, and expressed his displeasure.

But instead of shooting the victim, Westley and his accomplice, Jonathan Manuel Reyes, let him go, dropping him at a secluded crossroads outside West Chester and jokingly telling him to call the woman who had helped set the robbery up if he needed a ride home.

On Tuesday, Reyes, 26, of Coatesville was ordered held for trial on charges of robbery, theft, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, possession of an instrument of crime, conspiracy, and related charges in connection with the incident that occurred on July 7.

Reyes was held on $25,000 bail by Magisterial District Judge Mark Bruno, who had earlier accepted the hearing waiver of Amanda Christine Smith, the 19-year-old West Goshen woman who police said had lured the victim to the robbery. She is free on bail.

Reyes, interestingly, did not appear in Bruno’s courtroom for the hearing, but instead stayed in a hallway near the court lockup so as not to open himself up to identification by the victim, Michael Bianco. He testified that Reyes sat directly behind him in Smith’s car during the robbery so he would not have gotten a clear view of him.

Westley, 22, of Oxford the alleged gunman, was held for court on similar charges on Sept. 20 by Magisterial District Judge Thomas Tartaglio.

According to Bianco’s testimony, he got a call from Smith, an acquaintance he had not seen for some time, the afternoon of July 7. She asked him to “hang out,” and wondered if he had any money, drugs or liquor. He said that all he had was $40, but he had to stop at his mother’s house for rent money.

Under questioning from Assistant District Attorney Peter Johnson, Bianco said he grew suspicious of Smith’s constant questioning about money. So when he collected $300 from his mother in West Chester, he hid it in his sock.

They stopped at the Lukoil gas station on Hannum Avenue, where they were met by two men Bianco said he did not know. Smith said she needed to go to the liquor store, so the four drove to the Bradford Plaza, where Bianco bought a fifth of Hennessey brandy. When he got back in the car, Smith said she needed to drive her friends home in the borough, but instead proceeded towards Downingtown.

At a stoplight, one of the men, later identified as Westley, told Bianco, “I need everything you’ve got.” When Bianco turned to look at him, he saw a silver handgun in Westley’s lap. Westley then punched him in the face.

When Bianco turned over his wallet, cellphone, a pack of cigarettes and the liquor, Westley expressed his displeasure at the amount of money, and ordered his partner, later identified as Reyes, to search him. The pat down, however, did not turn up the cash hidden in his sock, Bianco said.

The men and Smith dropped off Bianco at an intersection off Highland Road and drove away.

On cross-examination by Assistant Public Defender Sameer Barkawi, representing Reyes, Bianco acknowledged that he did not know who the men who robbed him were before being told by authorities. A series of questions by Barkawi to determine if Bianco could give a description of the second man in the car with Westley drew objections from Johnson, which Bruno sustained.

According to an affidavit in the case prepared by West Chester Detective Stan Billie, Smith was interview about the incident in August. She said that on July 7, she and Westley and Reyes — who she knew only as “Joey” — had talked about robbing someone, and that she had suggested Bianco. She said that after picking Bianco up, they met with Reyes and Westley and drove to the state store.

Smith also corroborated Bianco’s version of the robbery.

Billie, in brief testimony Tuesday, said that a search of an apartment Reyes was staying at in Delaware turned up Bianco’s cellphone, tying him to the robbery.

To contact staff reporter Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.