A man was dragged from his car, beaten with pistols, and robbed at gunpoint outside a South 1st Avenue club in December 2024, left with a perforated kidney and missing his top four front teeth. Nearly two years later, the three men responsible are headed to prison for years, some for decades, after pleading guilty in Chester County Court.
Raijon Redd, 31, Steven Pittman Jr., 24, and Brandon Norris, 35, all of Coatesville, entered guilty pleas on September 28 to robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, aggravated assault, and kidnapping, according to the Chester County District Attorney's Office. Norris also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a person prohibited from doing so because of a prior conviction. Chester County Judge Analisa Sondergaard accepted the plea agreements and handed down sentences on October 12, sending Norris to prison for 20 to 40 years, Redd for 15 to 40 years, and Pittman for 5 to 15 years.
A Violent Ambush Outside a Coatesville Club
The attack unfolded in a parking lot along Business Route 30 in South Coatesville Borough, outside the Malibu club on South 1st Avenue, according to pottsmerc.com. Accounts of the ambush differ on one key detail: Patch reported that three armed and masked men grabbed the victim from his vehicle, while pottsmerc.com reported that four masked men dressed in black approached his car with firearms. Pennsylvania State Police were dispatched after a 911 call reporting an assault and robbery in progress, and the Daily Voice reported that the victim had noticed a Nissan Altima parked nearby as he pulled into the lot.
One of the attackers fired a shot, and the group beat the victim with punches, kicks, and pistols before taking his phone, according to the Daily Voice. They forced him to transfer $2,050 from his Cash App account and threatened to kill him, the outlet reported, while pottsmerc.com's account put the cash stolen at approximately $3,000 and said the assailants also removed the victim's pants during the robbery. The attackers then tried to force the victim into another vehicle before he managed to escape once they stepped out of his own car, and they fled the area as soon as officers arrived, per the Chester County District Attorney's Office.
Injuries Sent Victim to Paoli Hospital
Police found the victim covered in blood and missing his top four front teeth, according to pottsmerc.com's reporting. He was taken to Paoli Hospital, where he was interviewed, according to the Daily Voice. He suffered swelling and bruising to his face, head, hands, arms, legs, feet, and back, the Daily Voice reported, and investigators documented injuries to his lower back along with a preliminary indication of a left-side kidney perforation.
Investigators identified Brandon Norris as one of the attackers after reviewing surveillance footage and other evidence, according to the Daily Voice's account of the case. The Pennsylvania State Police Embreeville Barracks led the investigation, with assistance from the Coatesville City Police Department, the district attorney's office said.
Prosecutors Call Attack Calculated and Fear-Inducing
Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said the co-defendants committed a violent, calculated attack that left the victim fearing for his life. He added that the guilty pleas and sentences hold the defendants accountable, and he thanked law enforcement and prosecutors for their work on the case, according to the district attorney's office.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrea Cardamone and Assistant District Attorney Max Barrish prosecuted the case. Under Pennsylvania law, a prior conviction can bar someone from legally possessing a firearm, the charge Norris faced in addition to the robbery, conspiracy, assault, and kidnapping counts, per Pennsylvania's criminal code.
