Juvenile Charged as Adult in Hammer Beating, Robbery

A juvenile has been certified to stand trial as an adult in a December robbery in which a Wireless Connect store employee was beaten with a hammer.

Sara Mahelona, 16, of the 7100 block of Lyndover Place in Maplewood, was charged Friday with first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and felonious restraint. Mahelona was 15 at the time of the robbery.

Two other people, Arvell Pruitt and Teresa Moss, were charged in the case previously. (A photo of Mahelona was not available.)

Maplewood Police said the three attacked the employee as he was closing up the Wireless Connect store, at 7207 Manchester Road, Dec. 19, hitting him with a hammer and kicking him repeatedly. The man had several inuries, including an eye that was swollen shut.

Police said the defendants took three cell phones from the man. They then forced the man to drive them in his car, where they continued hitting him with the hammer as they demanded his wallet.

Bail has been set at $75,000 for Mahelona.

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