Patricia Kopta left behind a husband and siblings and meandered through northern Puerto Rico for a while before she was taken as a person in need to the adult care home in 1999, according to details announced at a news conference this week in Ross Township, where she once lived. I didn't believe it. Years went by with no sign of her. Vigil planned for spring breaker who died after being raped in Miami A Pennsylvania woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who later declared her legally dead has been found living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico. After a social worker contacted police in Pennsylvania, it took almost a year for DNA samples to confirm that the woman was indeed Patricia Kopta. Miami Beach police arrested Dorian Taylor, 24, and Evoire Collier, 21, both from North Carolina and visiting for spring break, according to investigators. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A DNA test has confirmed her identity, Kohlhepp said. Every time theyd find a body somewhere (I wondered), Is it Patricia? But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said. She had her whole life still to do things and she had dreams and goals and all these things shell never be able to do now because of them., Investigators say the two men met their victim at a restaurant, gave her a green pill and went to her hotel where they had sex with her multiple times and once she was unconscious or out the suspects remained inside the unit and didnt call for assistance or help and began to take all her items.. MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead inside a Miami Beach hotel room after two men drugged and raped her last week, police said. He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. Both men were held without bond. He gave her and her friends a ride and fell in love. Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. "Every time they'd find a body somewhere (I wondered), 'Is it Patricia? Englehardt is a graduate of Council Rock High School North and was a manager at Jules Thin Crust Pizza in Newtown. South Beach death: Woman, 24, found dead in Florida hotel room was Men visiting Miami Beach drugged and raped woman who later died - WPLG If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said. The two men are accused of going with the woman to her hotel, where they had sex with her multiple times and once she was unconscious or out the suspects remained inside the unit and didnt call for assistance or help and began to take all her items, WPLG reports. "She was the person you brought in that lit up the whole room. Pennsylvania man arrested in Florida after missing woman found dead at According to police, the body of Christine Englehardt, of Richboro, Bucks County, was found on March 18. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Eagles' WR Zach Pascal Robbed and Assaulted at Gunpoint in Maryland, Pa. Woman Went Missing in 1992 and Declared Dead. 2 men accused of drugging, raping Bucks County woman found dead in When she first was taken in at the adult home, she had hinted that she had arrived in Puerto Rico via a cruise ship from Europe, Kohlhepp said. I went through a lot, said Bob Kopta, a retired truck driver. To think she went through what she went through, it's sickening; it's sick," DiFrancesco said. Pennsylvania woman missing since 1992 found alive in Puerto Rico "When your wife goes missing, you're a suspect.". Miami Beach police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found barricaded in a hotel room she reportedly shared with her now-missing boyfriend. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, were both charged with burglary with assault or battery; sexual battery; credit card fraud; and theft. After a social worker contacted police in Pennsylvania, it took almost a year for DNA samples to confirm that the woman was indeed Patricia Kopta. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office is still working to determine Christine Englehardt's cause of death after the young woman's semi-nude body was discovered Thursday at the Albion Hotel. Its a sad thing, but its a relief off my mind, her husband said. The disappearance stumped authorities and family alike. He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. Evoire Collier (left) and Dorian Taylor (right) were both charged with burglary with assault or battery; sexual battery; credit card fraud; and theft. She said something about seeing an angel there, Smith recalled. By last year, a social worker at the home had enough information to alert authorities back home about the now-83-year-old woman. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead at the Albion Hotel on James Avenue in Miami Beach on Thursday, March 18. MIAMI (WPVI) -- A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead inside a South Beach Miami hotel room after two men drugged and raped her, police said. MIAMI, Fla. (WFLA) A woman was found dead at a Florida hotel after she was allegedly drugged and raped by two spring breakers who stole her credit cards to spend money on their trip, police said. She says she's been unable to speak to the elder sibling on the phone because she cannot hold a conversation, given her dementia. Do not to buy Raspberry Rally cookies from eBay, Girl Scouts say, Brian Laundrie was 'emotional bully,' Petito family lawsuit says, Pa. woman missing since 1992 found alive in Puerto Rico. Collier and Taylor will reportedly be arraigned in about three weeks. Patricia Kopta, Pittsburgh street preacher missing since 1992, found alive in Puerto Rico 02:03. Updated: Mar 3, 2023 / 02:26 PM EST. MIAMI BEACH, Florida (WPVI) -- Residents in Miami Beach, Florida held a vigil on Friday night to honor a Pennsylvania woman who was found dead inside a hotel room earlier this month. A woman who police say died after being drugged and raped in a Miami Beach hotel room was visiting Florida from the Philadelphia suburbs. MIAMI, Fla. (WGHP) A Pennsylvania man who was wanted after a woman was found dead in a North Carolina hotel earlier this week was found and arrested in Miami, Florida, according to the Davie . "As she asked and spoke more, she leaked enough details about her identity that they were able to connect enough dots to contact us," Kohlhepp said. Samantha DiFrancesco, a close friend of Englehardt's, said she was a "genuinely good person.". Collier claimed Taylor gave the woman a green pill as they walked on Ocean Drive, but it was unclear from the arrest report if she took the pill willingly, or if it was slipped. Collier told police he believed it was the pain reliever Percocet. All Rights Reserved. When she first was taken in at the adult home, she had hinted that she had arrived in Puerto Rico via a cruise ship from Europe, Kohlhepp said. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Police went as far as to consult a psychic, while Kopta recalled his wife once mentioned she would like to go to Puerto Rico because of its balmy weather. "She said something about seeing an angel there," Smith recalled. Her father told NBC Miami that Englehardt traveled to South Florida from her Richboro home. 2 men accused of drugging, raping Pa. woman found dead in Miami hotel room. One investigator said that a court surveillance video shows the suspects holding the victim up and that the video made it clear she was unable to consent. The people causing problems on Miami Beach are mostly out-of-state visitors, but many aren't college spring breakers, city officials say. Bucks County woman found dead in Miami hotel room - 6abc Philadelphia SEE ALSO: 2 men accused of drugging, raping Bucks County woman found dead in Miami hotel room. According to the Miami Herald: The arrests come as Miami Beach police and city officials have been grappling with the overwhelming spring break crowds, instituting an 8 p.m. curfew aimed at cracking down on rowdy revelers on the streets. But before she began preaching, Kopta was a straight-A student who became a model and dance instructor. "She was the person you brought in that lit up the whole room. Vigil held for Bucks County, Pa. woman found dead in Miami hotel room He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance. Police allege the suspects, from . The victim was identified by authorities as 24-year-old. Patricia Kopta had been nicknamed The Sparrow because of her slight build, and often frequented parking lots and busy roads in the largely residential community of about 31,000 north of Pittsburgh, where she would caution passersby and motorists about the end of the world. "If you please let my brother come home and let our family handle the situation appropriately we will do whatever is necessary that Miami-Dade County asks of us. "Christine is everyone's daughter, sister, girlfriend, best friend, and my heart breaks for her family," D'Annunzio said. Christine Englehardt, 24, of Pennsylvania was found dead in her Miami Beach hotel room. "This is the last person I would ever think this would happen to. The medical examiner has not made a ruling on the cause of death as toxicology results are pending, officials said. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. To think she went through what she went through, it's sickening; it's sick," DiFrancesco said. Woman Found Dead In Miami Hotel Room, Boyfriend Reportedly Missing "I don't . Investigators believe Englehardt made contact with the suspects in a restaurant. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was found dead in a Miami Beach hotel room last week; police said she'd been drugged and raped. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code, Vast majority of U.S. homes are unaffordable to the average buyer. If the drug they are alleged to have given to Englehardt is proven to have played a role in her death, they could also be facing a manslaughter or murder charge. One investigator said that a court surveillance video shows the suspects holding the victim up and that the video made it clear she was unable to consent. Christine Englehardt of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, died Thursday morning after being found at the Albion Hotel on Miami Beach during spring break, police said By NBC10 Staff Published March . Shortly afterward, Kopta began preaching and was briefly institutionalized after doctors diagnosed her with "delusions of grandeur" and said she had signs of schizophrenia. In 1972, they married. Bucks County Woman Dies in Miami Beach Hotel Room After Being Drugged If investigators find the pill that led to her death, the suspects could face manslaughter or murder charges. Meanwhile, Patricia Kopta apparently was wandering the island's northern towns of Naranjito, Corozal and Toa Alta, located just southwest of the capital of San Juan. Kopta, now 86, recalled how they met near a river in Pittsburgh where he had a boat. Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. According to . filled in details of Koptas life at the news conference and in telephone interviews Friday with The Associated Press. RELATED: Police chief says Miami spring break partying 'couldn't go on any longer'. She Was Just Found in Puerto Rico, Check Your Change! One of the Miami Beach detectives on the case testified at a bond hearing Monday and said that based on the surveillance footage, Englehardt was staggering and appeared to be in no condition to give any kind of consent prior to entering the hotel. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. A possible drug overdose was suspected. In partnership with By Lauren Silver, Cox Media Group National Content Desk. Investigators believe Englehardt made contact with the suspects in a restaurant. It worked. Spring Breakers Arrested for Drugging, Raping Woman Who Later Died in Miami Hotel: Police, Police Chief Says Miami Partying Couldn't Go on Any Longer', Check Your Change! Its a sad thing, but its a relief off my mind, her husband said. Her husband, Bob Kopta, and her surviving sister, 78-year-old Gloria Smith. I thought maybe she had died.. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Alleged Miami Beach Serial Rapist Facing More Charges After 5th Accuser Comes Forward. A Pennsylvania woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who later declared her legally dead has been found living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico. Upon her release, she kept preaching until she vanished in 1992. One investigator said that a court surveillance video shows the suspects holding the victim up and that the video made it clear she was unable to consent. Crowds continue to pack South Beach and even with an 8 p.m. curfew, law enforcement has their hands full. She was a . Years went by with no sign of her. She says shes been unable to speak to the elder sibling on the phone because she cannot hold a conversation given her dementia. Collier and Taylor are facing charges of burglary with battery, petty theft, sexual battery and credit card fraud. Five-time Emmy Award-winning newscaster Calvin Hughes anchors WPLG-Local 10's 4, 5, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts. The Marion County Sheriff's Office did not name the woman . Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. Do not to buy Raspberry Rally cookies from eBay, Girl Scouts say, Brian Laundrie was 'emotional bully,' Petito family lawsuit says, Pa. woman missing since 1992 found alive in Puerto Rico. Bucks County woman found dead in Miami hotel room remembered . According to police records, surveillance footage showed the two men entering the hotel lobby Englehardt, at about 1 a.m. on Thursday, March 18, then exiting the hotel without Englehardt about 30 minutes later. Kohlhepp said those who knew her in Puerto Rico finally made the connection and contacted Ross Township police, CBS Pittsburgh reported.