By Lisa Trigg
TERRE HAUTE — Three teenagers accused in a Sunday robbery in which two people allegedly were held at gunpoint now face two class-B felonies of armed robbery and burglary with potential prison terms of six to 20 years each.
Dante Riley, 18, appeared Thursday morning in Vigo Superior Court 1, where a formal not guilty plea was entered by public defender James Organ.
Judge Michael Eldred noted that Riley has a pending robbery case set to go to trial April 12, so he directed the prosecutor to decide whether to try the new class-B felony burglary and armed robbery charges, or to go with the older class-C felony robbery case.
Eldred also reduced Riley’s bail from $100,000 cash only to $75,000 with no 10 percent allowed. Riley initially was arraigned in Division 6 court, but his case was transferred to Division 1, where he has the other pending case.
Meanwhile, Dante Riley’s brother, Donald Riley Jr., 17, was waived into adult court and appeared Thursday afternoon in Division 6, where Judge Michael Lewis found probable cause for his arrest, and set his bail at $100,000 with no 10 percent allowed.
The judge gave prosecutors until Tuesday to file formal charges in the case against the younger Riley.
Lewis also accepted formal charges against Joshua D. Estremera, 19, and confirmed his bail at $100,000 no 10 percent allowed. He was assigned public defender Angela Bullock and will return to court Feb. 8 for the setting of trial dates.
Terre Haute Police allege that Estremera and the Riley brothers broke into an apartment in the 700 block of South Sixth Street on Sunday, held a couple who lived there at gunpoint, and took about $550 and some electronic items. Police arrested the three after finding them at another dwelling about a block away from he couple’s apartment.
Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or lisa.trigg@tribstar.com.
