Monessen man, girlfriend charged with homicide, robbery

MONESSEN, Pa. — A 19-year-old Monessen man was charged Thursday with going to a city resident‘s home to rob him on Dec. 3, then gunning him down when he answered the door.

Earl V. Pinkney, faces criminal homicide, robbery, aggravated assault and conspiracy charges in the death of Chris Fincik, 36, who died in the doorway of his Maple Avenue home.

Pinkney‘s girlfriend, Chalsee L. Hughes, 19, of High Street, Duquesne, was charged with criminal homicide, robbery and two counts of conspiracy in Fincik‘s murder.

Hughes admitted to police that she showed her identification to help two other Monessen men, Joshua Stepoli and Antoine Hairston, purchase ammunition at a Wal-Mart store, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Pinkney has been held in the Westmoreland County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail since he was arraigned Dec. 4 in connection with a related charge of attempted homicide involving another man later on Dec. 3.

After preliminary hearings Thursday before District Judge Joseph Dalfonso, four of five suspects in that case — Pinkney; siblings Joshua Stepoli, 18, Terrance Stepoli, 20, and Samone Stepoli, 21, all of Monessen — were held for trial on attempted homicide, attempted aggravated assault and conspiracy charges for allegedly attacking Jaisen Irwin on the afternoon of Dec. 3, hours after Fincik‘s murder, according to court documents.

Irwin told police the group chased and shot at him near the Elks Club on Knox Avenue and Highland Manor, accusing him of implicating them in Fincik‘s murder.

A preliminary hearing was continued Thursday for Hairston, 19, because he didn‘t have an attorney.

During a search of Pinkney‘s home, police found an empty ammunition box matching the bullets found at the scene of Fincik‘s death, the affidavit states.

Pinkney told a friend he had gone to Fincik‘s home with Hairston and Joshua Stepoli to rob the man. As they waited outside the house, a female went to the door and Fincik let her in, then the shots were fired, Pinkney told the friend, police said.

“I was there with Antoine and Josh,” Pinkney told police. “I was so high, I didn‘t know where I was at. Josh did the shooting. I heard the shots and ran home,” according to the affidavit.

This article was written by Channel 11 News exchange partners at TribLIVE.

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