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First Posted: 5/28/2013

Five people have been charged in the August invasion of the Lehman Township home of an elderly woman who hid from the intruders and gunfire in a closet.

State police at Wyoming allege Charles Conden III, 20, last-known address as Wright Street, Edwardsville, fired several rounds into a residence at 360 Huntsville-Idetown Road on the Lehman Township estate compound of prominent area businessman Ken Pollock on Aug. 3.

The home invasion was part of a crime spree allegedly involving Conden and his cohorts, Aliyah Hill, 18, of Edwardsville; Payne Prasnikar, 21, of Stillwater; Antonio Suarez, 18, and Sara Gryskevicz, 19, both from Wilkes-Barre.

Hours before Conden allegedly shot his way into the home of Marion Pollock, 89, he and Prasnikar allegedly robbed a convenience store on East Main Street in Nanticoke, stealing a cash register that was later dumped along a road; burglarized a garage in Edwardsville; robbed a convenience store on the Dallas Memorial Highway in Kingston Township, and a residence in Jackson Township on Aug. 2-3.

Authorities said the five people were driving around randomly targeting places to plunder in a car they allegedly stole in West Nanticoke.

Their spree did not stop as they left the area. They traveled to Ocean City, Md., where Conden robbed the Raceway Citgo Convenience Store on Ocean Gateway and discharged a round from the same handgun at a customer at about 5 p.m. Aug. 3.

A pursuit ensued after the Ocean City robbery that ended in a crash with another vehicle. Conden escaped, leaving Hill, Prasnikar, Suarez and Gryskevicz behind in the wrecked car, where they were arrested.

Conden’s escape did not last long.

He was apprehended by state police when he was spotted walking in the area of Wyoming Avenue and Market Street in Kingston on Aug. 7, and later extradited to Maryland.

Court records in Maryland indicate Conden, Prasnikar, Suarez and Gryskevicz pleaded guilty to armed robbery. Conden and Prasnikar were sentenced to 10 years in prison, Suarez was sentenced to 11 years and Gryskevicz was sentenced to seven years.

Hill pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery and had her case transferred to juvenile court in Maryland.

State police and police in Edwardsville, Kingston Township and Nanticoke filed charges against Conden, Hill, Prasnikar, Suarez and Gryskevicz with district judges James Tupper, Paul Roberts and Donald Whittaker. They have not been arraigned.

Marion Pollock was awakened by the house alarm and her dog barking at about 1:50 a.m. Aug. 3, and hid in a closet with a cellphone. She heard two male voices in her home and called a family member, who urged her to stay in the closet, according to charges filed.

State police believe four shots were fired through a rear glass door, which tripped the alarm.

There was also evidence that a shot was fired while the intruders were in the house.

Pollock was not injured, state police said.