A criminal call hearing is scheduled today for one of the suspects in the kidnapping and murder of Hayden Gareffa.
Court documents show 24-year-old Desan Alvarez of Hammond, Indiana will go before Indiana County President Judge Thomas Bianco today. He faces charges of criminal homicide, kidnapping to facilitate a felony, kidnapping to inflict injury or terror, aggravated assault with serious bodily injury and conspiracy to all four crimes in connection with the incident on October 20th of 2022. Police say he along with six other adults and a juvenile went to Gareffa’s grandmother’s home on Route 403 and kidnapped him. Two days later, his body was found in tall weeds and brush along an access road near Oneida Mine Road in Brush Valley Township. An autopsy showed he was stabbed multiple times.
Others suspected in the incident have had their cases go through the court system. Taylin Edwards, Summer Settlemyer and Isaac Buchkowski of Johnstown pleaded guilty but mentally ill. Edwards was ordered to serve life in prison while Buchkowski’s and Settlemyer’s sentencings will be August 17th. Thomas Rivera of Johnstown is awaiting a criminal call hearing in August. Jesse Wadsworth will have the same hearing in September. Harmony Rhyne Hayward, who was 14 at the time, has waived her preliminary hearing and is awaiting action at the court of common pleas. Prosecutors decided to not prosecute charges filed against Mia Catalfano.
