Philly brothers charged in Pottsville homicide, robbery

Two brothers from Philadelphia are facing charges in connection with separate violent crimes in Pottsville.

Anthony Ballard, 26, is accused of fatally shooting a man in the Schuylkill County town on Tuesday, according to court records. His brother, 24-year-old Dustin Ballard, was apprehended this week to face charges in an April armed robbery.

Pottsville police allege that Anthony Ballard shot 19-year-old Elijah Trayvon Carraway to death on a Pottsville street after some type of dispute, according to the Republican Herald.

A witness identified Anthony Ballard as the shooter and a Pottsville woman, 19-year-old Jaimee Watson, as the driver of a getaway car. Police began looking for the trio -- Dustin Ballard was already being sought in connection with the April robbery -- and traced their car to the brothers' East Germantown home in Philadelphia, the newspaper reported.

They were taken into custody there on Wednesday.

Ongoing fights between the Ballard and Carraway families led to the deadly shooting, police say.

"It was basically a dispute," Capt. Richard Wojciechowsky told the Republican Herald. "There was nothing that should have led to this."

In the robbery incident, police say Dustin Ballard forced his way into an apartment, brandished a handgun and threatened the people inside, while stealing cash, identification and bank cards.

Both brothers were initially identified as suspects in both incidents.

The robbery victim later changed her story and charges against Anthony Ballard for that crime were withdrawn, court records show. Authorities had said they were looking for both brothers in connection with the homicide, but Wojciechowsky told the Republican Herald that investigators haven't found any evidence that Dustin Ballard was involved.

Both brothers are being detained at the Schuylkill County Prison.