Judge rules Hazle Township homicide suspect ‘competent’ to face trial

WILKES-BARRE — A man from Quakertown accused of beating his girlfriend to death inside a motel room in Hazle Township more than three years ago was deemed competent to face trial, Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough recently ruled.

Joseph Alan Sarmiento, 39, was charged with an open count of criminal homicide by the Pennsylvania State Police at Hazleton after Helena Johnson, 38, was found inside room 201 of the Red Carpet Inn on North Church Street on June 4, 2021, according to court records.

Troopers found Johnson, of Massachusetts, inside a bathtub with injuries to her head, face and neck. An autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Charles Siebert revealed Johnson died from blunt force trauma.

Sarmiento called 911 when he claimed he found Johnson unresponsive in the bathtub, court records say.

Court records say Sarmiento had been living with Johnson at the motel for three weeks and engaged in an argument about their relationship. Sarmiento denied the argument turned physical.

As the case lingered in court due to Sarmiento’s mental health, his lawyers, John Donovan and Cheryl Sobeski-Reedy, in November 2022, filed a petition to determine Sarmiento competency to face trial.

A competency hearing was held May 24 when Donovan, psychologist Dr. Michael E. Keesler and psychiatrist Dr. Richard E. Fischbein testified to Sarmiento’s mental health and difficulty of understanding the criminal homicide charge filed against him. When Donovan testified, he claimed Sarmiento believed Johnson was brought back to life.

Fischbein opined Sarmiento suffers from delusional thinking and delusional disorder, while Keesler opined Sarmiento suffers from psychotic illness.

Dr. John S. O’Brien, a psychiatrist who testified for prosecutors at the competency hearing in May, opined Sarmiento is able to understand, participate and assist in his defense at trial.

Observing Sarmiento during the competency hearing and analyzing the testimony from Donovan and the three doctors, Vough determined Sarmiento is competent to face trial.

“(Sarmiento) failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that he is unable to understand the nature and object of the proceedings or to participate in his defense. (Sarmiento) is competent to stand trial,” Vough ruled.

While Sarmiento was found competent, a trial date has not been scheduled as pre-trial and motion hearings need to take place.

Pennsylvania deputy attorney generals Rebecca A. Elo and Brian M. Zarallo are prosecuting.