READING, Pa. – Three men at the center of a kidnapping and homicide case appeared at the Berks County courthouse on Wednesday.
The suspects, 19-year-old Jazmiere Brockington, 21-year-old Gerson Caicedo, and 20-year-old Kahlil Nein, are facing murder charges following the disappearance and subsequent kidnapping of a Lebanon County man who was last seen on March 25 of this year, said Berks County District Attorney John Adams.
Following the preliminary hearing Wednesday morning, the three men are proceeding along the route to trial, judges say.
The suspects’ next court appearance is set for September 9th.
The three men have been charged with second-and third-degree murder, along with the previous kidnapping, imprisonment and assault charges, authorities say.
Michael Petrino Jr., 23, went missing from northeast Reading in March. Police say he was last seen on surveillance footage at 1:30 a.m. being beaten up and put into the trunk of a car.
Petrino’s body has not been found, but officials say they have probable cause that he is dead.
Along with Petrino’s body not having been found, there is no bank information or social media trail around his disappearance, DA Adams said. FBI and other agencies are assisting in the continued search for Petrino’s body.
According to police, a total of six people have been arrested in connection with his kidnapping, but the other three are under the age of 18. Those six suspects have been in custody since June of this year, police said.
Brockington, Caicedo, and Nein are appearing before a judge for their preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
69 News Reporter Caitlin Rearden was in the courtroom Wednesday morning. She’ll have more on the hearing in our later newscasts.