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Coaldale man, 19, charged with campus assault, theft

Wearing an "I (leaf) weed" T-shirt, Trevor Christman, 19, of Coaldale, was taken into district court Sunday afternoon after allegedly punching a random Bloomsburg University student in the face and stealing his smart phone.

Bloomsburg University (BU) spokesperson Rosalee Rush said that police and dispatchers used an Internet phone tracking program the student had put on his cell phone to track it's location.After being alerted to the direction of the stolen cell phone through three counties, Tamaqua police were told by dispatch that the phone was traveling east on US209 via the Pottsville Stretch toward Tamaqua. Tamaqua police pulled over the suspected vehicle around 5 a.m. along SR209, near the old Jamesway Plaza.Police found the stolen smart phone inside the vehicle in which Christman was riding. Four other individuals, consisting of two men, one minor and one woman, (all from the Panther Valley area) were also in the vehicle and taken into custody by Tamaqua Police for questioning. Rush Township and Coaldale police also assisted.According to The Press Enterprise, Bloomsburg University police said that university student Daniel Binck, unknown to Christman, was walking through the school's Green Lot along First Street at just before 4 a.m. on Sunday, when he passed a group of four men hanging out near a car. Binck told police that as he passed the men, he said, "How are you guys doing?"A man, later identified by Binck as Christman, yelled back, "What did you say?" the student reported.Binck started to walk away faster, since he felt threatened, he told police. Christman asked Binck if he had $20, and when Binck said no, Christman grabbed him by the arm, according to arrest papers. Binck said he pulled out his iPhone 4S and told Christman that was all he had on him.Christman took the phone, then punched Binck in the face, knocking off Binck's glasses, police said. The glasses broke when they hit the ground, and Binck suffered a cut to his face. After being punched, Binck broke free and ran until he found another person walking in the area. He used her cell phone to call 9-1-1, police said.The Press Enterprise added that according the police, Christman matched Binck's physical description of the assailant, and was later picked out of a photo lineup of eight pictures. It's not clear what Christman was doing in Bloomsburg early Sunday.Christman was arraigned before District Judge Marvin Shrawder Sunday afternoon. Unable to post the $25,000 bail, Christman remains in jail. Rush added that Christman isn't a student at BU and doesn't work.It is unknown if the four other individuals in the vehicle will be charged.Police added that Christman admitted to running from police in the past, "more than once."Christman faces two felony charges of robbery, along with charges of theft, simple assault, and criminal mischief.

ANDREW LEIBENGUTH/TIMES NEWS Tamaqua police, with the assistance of Rush Township and Coaldale police, helped in the capture of a Coaldale man who allegedly assaulted and robbed a Bloomsburg student early Sunday morning. Pictured is a Bloomsburg University (BU) police car outside the Tamaqua Police Department. BU officers spent a couple hours interviewing the alleged robber and other individuals who were in the car with him.