Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WINSLOW TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — One of two people charged with killing a sleeping woman at her family's blueberry farm in New Jersey was familiar with the property and intended to burglarize it, prosecutors said.
Tyler Dralle, 20, of Vineland, and a 17-year-old from New Castle, Delaware, were charged in the June 25 shooting of Deanna Scordo, 45, who was asleep at the time of the shooting, the Camden County prosecutor's office said.
Dralle's attorney said in court Friday that his client denies any involvement in the burglary and killing and argued he should be placed on house arrest.
The judge ordered Dralle held without bail until a detention hearing Friday in Superior Court in Camden, citing the seriousness of the charges.
The two went to the farm to burglarize it and got away with $276 in rolled coins after shooting Scordo, Assistant Prosecutor Peter Gallagher said. Detectives learned Dralle was familiar with the farm because he drove his brother and girlfriend to work there, Gallagher said.
Police determined Dralle used a CoinStar machine to count out $90 in coins about five hours after the shooting, and when they confronted him about it, he attempted to blame his codefendant.
Dralle does not have serious prior convictions but was charged a few weeks ago with aggravated assault in Cumberland County, Gallagher said.
Scordo ran a rehabilitation company and lived on her family's blueberry farm in Winslow Township. Her father called police after the shooting to report two males wearing black hoods broke into the house and shot her during a robbery.
U.S. Marshals arrested Dralle on Tuesday.
The teenager, who was arrested Wednesday, has not been identified.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
