City man turns himself in for role in robbery, seeks rehab
Police say Saullo helped man rob roommate
A city man who police say took part in a May robbery has turned himself in.
A shackled Gino A. Saullo Jr., 26, of 2901 Maple Ave., third floor, Apt. 4, was taken before Magisterial District Judge Daniel DeAntonio on Monday afternoon for his arraignment on felony robbery and related charges filed by Altoona police on June 5.
Police contend Saullo and
30-year-old Stephen Apostolu robbed Apostolu’s roommate on May 21, taking the man’s cellphone and wallet with $400 cash inside.
During the robbery, in which Apostolu held a Buck knife and Saullo was armed with a box cutter, Apostolu allegedly used the FaceTime app and called his girlfriend so she could berate the alleged victim for owing money for rent, according to the charges.
Apostolu told investigators he was high on methamphetamine when the robbery took place and that he and Saullo split the $400. Apostolu’s girlfriend speculated to police that Saullo and Apostolu used the cash that was taken from the roommate to buy drugs, police noted in the charges.
Saullo told DeAntonio that he is from Hazleton, Luzerne County, and has lived in Blair County about nine months starting with a 28-day stint in rehab. “I was on Suboxone,” Saullo said during his arraignment.
“I haven’t touched heroin since 2016. I give credit to Suboxone, but it made me sick. I’d use meth to make me feel better,” Saullo added.
Saullo said he didn’t think he would get addicted to methamphetamine.
“Before you knew it, I was addicted to meth like heroin,” Saullo said.
Saullo told the judge he was in contact with police at the start of the weekend to make arrangements to turn himself in and said he wanted to get back into rehab as opposed to going to jail with a cash bail he would be unable to pay.
DeAntonio told Saullo, who is charged with felony robbery and criminal conspiracy along with misdemeanor counts of simple assault by physical menace, terroristic threats, theft and receiving stolen property, that he was setting bail at $30,000 cash.
A preliminary hearing was tentatively set
for Wednesday, when Apostolu is slated to appear at Central Court for his preliminary hearing on the robbery charges.
Saullo was placed in Blair County Prison following his arraignment on Monday, and Apostolu remains in jail in lieu of $35,000 cash bail.
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