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Couple jailed on attempted homicide charges

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Jeffrey Kalfas

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Marissa Gillard

A Finleyville couple were jailed on attempted homicide charges, accused of assaulting a man with a hammer and causing a serious head injury Friday night in their apartment parking lot.

Monongahela police responded to Washington Court Apartments in the 3500 block of Washington Avenue about 11:55 p.m. Friday for a report of a man being assaulted by two residents of the complex.

Police said a witness who lives in the complex told police that he saw Jeffrey Kalfas, 31, of 3520 Washington Ave., apartment 103, striking a man with a hammer while the victim was inside a truck.

The witness told police that it appeared the victim had also been robbed, and that Kalfas’ girlfriend, Marissa Gillard, 28, of 144 Coal Bluff Road, Finleyville, had participated in the assault, according to the criminal complaint.

The witness told police that Kalfas and Gillard then ran back inside the building, leaving the victim “a bloody mess in the driver seat of the truck,” the complaint said.

The victim, Benjamin Ankrom, was able to drive away before calling 911 to report that a man and a pregnant woman struck him in the head with a hammer. He told police that he was attempting to control the bleeding. When police made contact with Ankrom, he was “covered in blood,” the complaint said.

Ankrom told police that he went to the apartment parking lot that night to lend something to Kalfas and Gillard when they robbed him. Ankrom told police the couple demanded he give them everything he had. He told police that while Kalfas struck him in the head and legs with the hammer, Gillard ransacked the truck.

“Benjamin stated he screamed and begged him to stop,” police wrote in the affidavit.

Ankrom was transported by ambulance to Jefferson Hospital.

Police requested help in arresting Gillard and Kalfas, who had barricaded themselves with multiple locks in the apartment. After an hour, they came out and were taken into custody.

Gillard, who is six months pregnant, told police that she and Kalfas were addicted to heroin, according to the complaint. She said they lured Ankrom to the apartment so they could “rob him for drugs,” the complaint said. Immediately following the assault, the couple went back to their apartment and used heroin, court documents state. 

Police said they found more than 103 empty stamp bags, syringes and needles in their apartment.

They were each charged by Monongahela police with criminal attempted homicide, criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, robbery and recklessly endangering another person. Both were arraigned Saturday morning by District Judge Mark Wilson. Gillard was jailed on $25,000 bond, and Kalfas, $50,000 bond.

Monongahela police said drug-related charges may be added to their case at the preliminary hearing, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. Nov. 3.

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