The sister of one of the men charged with drugging and raping a Spring Breaker in Florida pleaded with a judge to let her brother out on bond.
Christine Englehardt, 24, was given a “green pill” by 21-year-old Evoire Collier (center) and 24-year-old Dorian Taylor (right) on Thursday. The trio then headed back to her South Beach hotel room.
Englehardt had made the 1,200 mile trip from her home in Bucks Country, Pennsylvania, to attend the Spring break festivities alone, her father told NBC Miami.
Although she was safety conscious at home, Englehardt apparently let her guard down when she met Collier and Taylor, who were both in town from Greensboro, North Carolina.
Her semi-nude body was found in her room at the Albion Hotel at 1650 James Avenue on Thursday, the Miami Herald reported.
Surveillance footage taken from the hotel lobby shows the two suspects accompanying Englehardt into the hotel around 1 a.m. Thursday. Taylor is seen holding Englehardt by her neck as she staggered to the elevator.
Collier later confessed that both suspects had sex with Englehardt, and Taylor raped her while she was unconscious.
They then stole her personal belongings, including her cell phone, credit cards and cash.
Police say Collier and Taylor went on a spending spree with Englehardt’s credit cards, including purchasing liquor at South Beach Liquors.
Both suspects are pictured (right) in the background of another spring breaker’s Twitter photo. Collier is shirtless while Taylor wears a white shirt in the photo.
The two suspects were arrested over the weekend and appeared in a Miami-Dade County courtroom before Judge Mindy S. Glazer on Monday.
The sister of the younger suspect (Collier) made an emotional plea to Judge Glazer to let her brother go free on bond.
“I’m severely, um, bewildered by these charges and accusations against him, but I can attest for his character and I can attest for responsibility of him standing trial for whatever charges if you please let my brother come home and let our family handle the situation appropriately. We will do what ever is necessary that Miami-Dade County asks of us.”
Judge Glazer ordered both suspects held without bond until investigators determine whether the pill they gave Englehardt contributed to her death. Police found pills on one of the suspects. The pills were sent to a lab to be tested.
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