Sister accused of helping brother attack, kidnap wife

A brother and sister from Lansford have been accused of a violent assault on the man’s wife.

Ronald and Tina Dries were charged last week in connection with an incident that occurred in on Dec. 28.

Police say on the night of Dec. 28, Tina Dries struck Ronald’s wife in the head with a ceramic Nativity set and a cup, as he stood by and watched. When the wife fell to the floor, unable to defend herself, her sister-in-law allegedly slammed her head into the floor repeatedly.

The incident occurred at the couple’s residence on East Bertsch Street. Just before the incident, the victim told police that her husband and sister-in-law had been drinking Colt 45. The victim said she was not drinking, instead playing games on her phone. She said Tina Dries snatched the phone and gave it to Ronald, who smashed it on the ground, and the assault ensued.

After the assault, they locked her in the bathroom of the home for about 30 minutes. Tina Dries allegedly told her that she was in a “house of horror,” and couldn’t escape if she tried.

At one point, they let her out of the bathroom so she could sit on the couch. But before the victim went to bed, Ronald removed the unlocking mechanism from the door so she couldn’t escape.

The next morning, the victim escaped the room using a pair of tweezers while her husband slept. She said the front screen door was also rigged to prevent her from getting out.

When she finally escaped the home, she went to neighbors’ homes and asked them to call an ambulance.

Police officers met with the victim and observed blood on her face and swelling. She had bruises under her eyes. The hospital noted injuries to her head, eye and buttocks area.

Ronald Dries was arrested Jan. 2 and jailed at Carbon County Correctional Facility on $5,000 bail. Tina Dries was arrested the next day and sent to the jail with bail set at $1,000.

They both face charges of kidnapping to inflict injury, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, making terroristic threats and assault.

They are set to appear at a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Casimir T. Kosciolek in Lansford on Wednesday at 3:15 p.m.