Community Corner

UPDATE: Cops: Suspect Said Murder Selected at Random

Linfield man Stephen Reidler and Saleem Williams were both denied bail at a preliminary arraignment on Wednesday.

Update at 2:34 p.m. 

According to the criminal complaint, the trio who allegedly robbed and fatally shot 22-year-old Selvin Lopez-Mauricio discussed "robbing and rolling a Mexican" prior to assaulting and killing the young man.

Lopez-Mauricio's uncle gave police a statement, a detective wrote, and he told police that a male who police later identified as Saleem Williams, 20, of Sharon Hill, pulled a handgun, punched Lopez-Mauricio in the face, knocked him to the ground, pulled off his backpack and threw it to a female who police identified as Monique Robinson. 

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Robinson is still on the loose, and a warrant has been issued for her arrest. 

The three fled with the backpack, according to the uncle's statement, but Selvin chased them. 

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"In the area of 153 Prospect Street, [the uncle] observed Selvin attempting to retrieve the backpack from the female," according to police. 

Then, the gun was fired, a single shot. When police arrived on scene they discovered a .22-caliber shell. 

Police checked video surveillance in the area and were able to find tape that showed three people matching the description given by Lopez-Mauricio's uncle around the time of the homicide. 

Stephen Reidler, 23, of Linfield, was taken into custody along with Williams on Sept. 20, the same day as Lopez-Mauricio's funeral. 

Police questioned both of them, and took statements. Reidler admitted to being the one in the video, according to the criminal complaint. He allegedly told police the three were together downtown and walked to the rear of 212 Bridge Street "where they discussed rolling and robbing a Mexican," according to the criminal complaint. 

The three saw Lopez-Mauricio and his uncle in the 100 block of Prospect Street, Reidler allegedly told police, and he said during the assault he held the second victim, and then ran away. He said the three met up at an apartment on Bridge Street later in the early morning hours of Sept. 14. 

Williams also gave police a statement, and according to the criminal complaint, he admitted that he struck a second male victim with an open fist, and he also admitted that he was in the surveillance video, according to police. 

"Williams stated that while he physically struggled with the male, Monique [Robinson] handed him an automatic handgun and said, 'Shoot him!'" according to the criminal complaint. "Williams stated that he fired one shot from the handgun, which struck the Hispanic male who then screamed and attempted to run." 

Williams told police that Robinson had the backpack at that point, and corroborated Reidler's story that the three met up later at a Bridge Street apartment. 

Police wrote in the criminal complaint that the black backpack Lopez-Mauricio had contained $300. 

Neither Williams nor Reidler had a permit or were eligible for a permit for concealed carry of a weapon, according to the criminal complaint. 

The preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. in district court.

Previous Story

Two men were denied bail Wednesday in connection with a Sept. 14 homicide on Prospect Street. 

Saleem Williams, 20, of Sharon Hill, and Stephen Reidler, 23, of Linfield, face charges of criminal homicide. Williams was charged with first-, second- and third-degree murder along with aggravated assault and weapons charges. Reidler, in addition to the criminal homicide charge, faces charges of second- and third-degree murder, assault charges and related charges. The pair was arraigned on Wednesday.

While Reidler kept his head down and both men wore hoods, he turned to photographers and uttered an obscenity as he was being led into the district court building. The men had a chance to read the criminal complaint, and once inside the courtroom of District Judge Theodore Michaels, they were both soft-spoken, keeping their heads down. 

Both men admitted to having drug problems, and neither made a statement to the judge when they had the opportunity to do so. 

A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. in district court. 

Police are still seeking Monique Robinson, 18, who is known as "Geek." Robinson has known addresses listed in the 700 block of West Bridge Street as well as in the 100 block of Dayton Street in Phoenixville. She's described as a dark-haired, light-skinned black woman standing five-feet, three-inches tall and weighing 155 pounds. 

According to police, the three are responsible for the shooting death of Selvin Lopez-Mauricio, 22, of Phoenixville. Lopez-Mauricio died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to the Chester County Coroner. The homicide occurred in the 100 block of Prospect Street shortly before 1 a.m. on Sept. 14.


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