Deadly pizza holdup called closely planned

When Chasidy Demi Ramos - released from jail just the day before - and her boyfriend's mother entered a pizza shop in a Levittown strip mall, they had more than pies on their agenda, according to Bucks County officials.

Ramos, 25, of Bristol, and Robin Lynn Soto, 52, of Levittown, wanted to know how many people were in the restaurant and what time it closed, police said.

Moments after they left, Soto's two sons, wearing masks and surgical gloves, and brandishing what appeared to be guns, showed up at the shop, announced a robbery, and pistol-whipped the lone customer, who recovered and shot both brothers, killing one, Shawn Rose, 24.

As the robbery unfolded, Justin Rose, 22, was on the phone with the women. Ramos, his girlfriend, stayed on the phone with him after he had been shot and was lying on the restaurant floor, police said.

What first appeared to be a random attack actually was a family scheme planned a few days in advance, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said Tuesday night, announcing that Justin Rose, Ramos, and Soto had been charged in connection with the Nov. 15 incident at Porfirio's Pizza & Pasta II.

Soto and Ramos were ordered held on $2 million bail each on robbery and conspiracy charges. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Justin Rose, who remains hospitalized, was charged with robbery, conspiracy, simple assault, and reckless endangerment.

The brothers' guns turned out to be Airsoft pellet guns.

The customer, a 35-year-old man, acted in self-defense, ruled Bucks County District Attorney Matthew D. Weintraub, and was not charged or identified.

Ramos had been in prison since January on charges of retail theft and posted bail on Nov. 14, according to court records.

The accounts from Soto, Ramos, and Rose to police filled in details about the night. A co-owner of the restaurant, Alex Rodriguez, identified Ramos and Soto as the women who had come into the store before the robbery, police said.

The other owner, Gilmer Porfirio, said last week that he was outside at the time of the robbery. It was just past closing time, but they left the door unlocked in case anybody stopped by. They know the neighborhood and many of their customers, so they never worried, he said.

Porfirio said that when he and his brother decided to open a second location about 31/2 years ago, they snatched up a spot in the peaceful mall as soon as it became available.

"This town has always been nice, quiet, good people," said Porfirio last week. "That's the whole reason why we opened the store around here."

jmcdaniel@philly.com

610-313-8205 @McDanielJustine