Teen in Satellite Beach crowbar attack to plead guilty
Dylan Thomas, 18, the third suspect in a crowbar attack that left a Satellite Beach boy seriously injured, is scheduled for a plea hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, according to Brevard County Clerk of Courts.
Thomas faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm.
The hearing is scheduled to be conducted in front of Judge James H. Earp in Viera.
Earlier this year, Jessica Umberger and Rebecca Gotay, also accused in the incident, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery, a second degree felony after being charged with first-degree premeditated attempted murder. Sentencing in their cases has been set for April 15 and they face up to 15 years in prison.
The three teens were implicated in a February 2015 incident that left then 17-year-old Daniel Vukovich seriously injured. He was attacked with a crowbar in front of his house around dawn. Police say Gotay drove the other two to Vukovich's home in a Cadillac that belonged to Gotay.
Police say the crowbar attack on Vukovich was in retaliation for the theft of marijuana and smoking paraphernalia.
Gotay and Umberger were released on bond shortly after the attack, but Thomas has been in police custody since the incident.
Update, 9:25 a.m. Thursday:
One year after an attack that left a teenage boy fighting for his life, Jessica Umberger and Rebecca Gotay have pleaded guilty.
They will remain free until sentencing.
With their victim looking on this morning, the two 19-year-old women admitted their part in last year's ambush on then 17-year-old Daniel Vukovich as they pleaded guilty to aggravated battery, a second-degree felony.
Umberger and Gotay were arrested along with 18-year-old Dylan Thomas last February and charged with first-degree premeditated attempted murder.
Thomas, who allegedly used a crowbar to beat Vukovich over a marijuana dispute, remains in the county jail.
"I participated in the planning of the attack on Daniel Vukovich," Umberger told Circuit Judge James Earp. "We were sitting in the room talking about what we were going to do to Daniel."
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Aggravated battery is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
"This is an open plea. Meaning there is no sentence agreed on. You understand you can be punished by up to 15 years?" Circuit Judge James Earp asked Umberger. "The conditions of your plea are that you have to testify truthfully and assist law enforcement and appear when requested to do so."
Umberger wept afterward as she watched Gotay enter her plea.
"I dropped (Thomas) off and when he was finished I drove him to Jessie Umbereger and they got rid of the crowbar," Gotay said.
Assistant State Attorney Bill Respess asked the judge to schedule sentencing only after the case against Dylan Thomas was finished. Both Umberger and Gotay are expected to cooperate with the state in their case against Thomas.
"I think we'll have this resolved in two or three months," Assistant State Attorney Bill Respess said.
Sentencing has been scheduled for April 15.
Original story:
The two 19-year-old women involved in last year's crowbar attack in Satellite Beach and charged with premeditated first-degree attempted murder are expected to plead guilty this morning to aggravated battery and cooperate with the state in the case against the third defendant -- Dylan Thomas.
Jessie Umberger and Rebecca Gotay face up to 15 years in prison. Circuit Judge James Earp is expected to impose a sentence only after Thomas pleas or goes to trial.
Daniel Vukovich was attacked and beaten with a crowbar last February as he left his Satellite Beach home to go to school. He was beaten so badly that first responders believed he had been shot in the face. It took authorities less than a day for police to follow the social media and text trail left by 18-year-old Dylan Thomas, Gotay and Umberger. The trio believed Vukovich had stolen marijuana from Thomas.
Details being reviewed in Satellite Beach attack
They announced the pending attack on social media and were arrested the following day . Many of their friends -- people who knew Vukovich -- knew of the impending attack and did nothing to prevent it or even warn Vukovich, who has had numerous surgeries throughout his recovery.
Ironically, Gotay's father -- an anesthesiologist -- worked on Vukovich shortly after the attack and before he had any idea his daughter was involved.
Gotay and Umberger have been free on bond since shortly after the attack. Thomas remains jailed at the Brevard County Jail. His trial has yet to be scheduled.
The State Attorney's office does not comment on plea deals until after they are accepted by the judge.
Contact Torres at 321-242-3684 or at jtorres@floridatoday.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter @johnalbertorres or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FTjohntorres.