April 6, 2015

The Kennett Square teen accused of fatally bludgeoning his girlfriend at Millersville University on Feb. 8 waived his preliminary hearing on Monday, April 6.

Gregorio Orrostieta, 19, had been scheduled to appear before Lancaster County Magisterial District Judge Joshua R. Keller on Tuesday, April 7; however, the case will advance to Lancaster County Court without the need for prosecutors to prove that sufficient evidence existed to justify criminal homicide charges against Orrostieta.

Prosecutors said an investigation revealed that Orrostieta killed Karlie Hall, 18, a 2014 Unionville High graduate who was a freshman at Millersville. Dr. Wayne Ross, the medical examiner who performed an autopsy on Hall, concluded that she died of “strangulation and multiple traumatic injuries.”

Orrostieta’s attorney, Robert J. Brown III, said that he was “reserving comment” on the case until he has had more time to review it. He said that it was too early to know whether a trial or a plea is a more likely outcome.

Police said they responded to a call at Bard Hall on the Millersville University campus at approximately 5 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8, for a cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, officers found Hall unresponsive in her dorm room and began an investigation into her death, which was immediately deemed suspicious, police said.

According to the criminal complaint, officers at the scene also found Orrostieta, who had made the 9-1-1 call. He had blood smeared on his face, scratches on his chest, and a ripped shirt, kneeling over Hall attempting to administer CPR. He said he and Hall had a verbal altercation earlier at a party and that Hall had slapped him, the complaint said.

Orrostieta, who was not a Millersville student, told police that he and Hall “made up and then returned to Hall’s dorm room around 1:30 a.m.” He said another fight occurred, and he admitted shoving Hall hard enough that she was knocked to the ground and hit her head on a chair. Orrostieta also said he gave Hall a “back hand” to her face, at which point she became unresponsive, the complaint said.

During the course of the investigation, officers interviewed residents of Bard Hall who stated that they heard a disturbance from Room 217 around 2 a.m., including yelling and the sound of furniture being moved, the complaint said.

A resident assistant attempted to make contact with the occupants of the room at 2:30 a.m., but got no response and heard no more noise until Orrostieta called police about 5 a.m. Investigators said video surveillance from the dormitory indicated that no one else had entered or exited Room 217 during that time period, the complaint said.

Orrostieta, a 2014 graduate of Kennett High, remains incarcerated at Lancaster County Prison since bail is not available to homicide defendants. A formal arraignment is scheduled for May 8.