Elisha Harvey didn’t think anything of the white sport-utility vehicle she saw while driving through Beaver Falls.

Even after her friend, Desiree, said the men in it were staring at them, Ms. Harvey said she was unconcerned.

Ms. Harvey testified Friday in the preliminary hearing of three Beaver County men accused of participating in robbing her Dec. 14. She said she could see two of the men in the SUV, Russell Stewart, 34, of Rochester, and Chad Hess, 29, of Beaver Falls.

District Justice Henry J. Russo, Hermitage, held for court charges of robbery, simple assault, reckless endangerment and conspiracy against the third man, Larry Mitchell, 31, of Beaver Falls. Russo dismissed four counts of reckless endangerment and one count of terroristic threats.

Russo also held for court charges of robbery and conspiracy against Stewart and Hess.

Ms. Harvey, 20, of Masury, told Assistant District Attorney William Moder she had left her home at about 9 p.m. to head for the Beaver Falls home of a friend, Curt Carter. Carter had said he would give her money to help pay her bills and buy Christmas gifts, she testified.

Ms. Harvey, who was bedecked in gold jewelry at the hearing, drove with a friend she knows only as Desiree, 19, of Sharon, her friend, Jody Fryman, 19, who lives with her, and two children Ms. Harvey was baby-sitting, ages 2 and 4.

Ms. Harvey said she stayed at Carter’s house for only a few minutes, leaving her car running, to pick up the money. Carter gave her $2,000 cash, she said.

She said she never counted the money or even really looked at it. She said Carter told her how much money it was, she said.

Ms. Harvey said she has known Carter for two months but would not call him a boyfriend. He had given her money four times before, usually enough to cover rent or a car payment, she told Louis Emmi of Allegheny County, who represented Stewart. The largest amount he had previously given her was $1,000, she said.

She said she was unemployed at this time, which is why Carter offered her the money.

Ms. Harvey said she doesn’t know if Carter is employed, only that he makes shirts.

Ms. Harvey, who said she always goes home by driving through Farrell, her hometown, said she exited Route 60, headed north to Longview Road and then picked up Roemer Boulevard on her way to Broadway on the night of the robbery.

At Roemer and Shenango Boulevard, "This white truck zooms past us," she said.

"I didn’t know it was the truck. I thought I was driving too slow and they passed me."

The SUV stopped under the traffic light at Indiana Avenue, she told Mitchell’s attorney, Kevin Feeney of Hermitage. Mitchell got out the passenger side of the SUV, rushed to her car and held a handgun toward the windshield, she said.

He ran around to the driver’s door, opened it and pulled Ms. Harvey out by her coat, she said. He told her, "B----, give me the money" while holding the gun to her left temple, she said.

Ms. Harvey said she sat back in the car and reached for her purse after Ms. Fryman threw it back in. Ms. Fryman, Desiree and the kids had gotten out, Ms. Harvey said.

She reached into the purse and pulled out the money that Carter had given her, leaving $350 in her wallet, she said.

"It was funny because he only asked me," she told Hess’ attorney, Joseph Askar of Beaver County. "He didn’t ask nobody else."

After Ms. Harvey gave the money to Mitchell, who also is known as Troy, he reached in and took her cars keys while holding the gun to her chest, she said.

Hess was standing at the back of the SUV, apparently as a lookout, she said. Stewart never got out of the SUV, which he was driving, she said.

The SUV drove away quickly.

Police had said the robbery occurred at 10:54 p.m.

Ms. Harvey said she was taken to Neshannock Township, Lawrence County, later that night by police to identify the men after the SUV had been stopped by state police.

She said she had probably seen Mitchell once before, and Ms. Fryman said at the Neshannock police station that she knew Mitchell and Stewart.

Desiree had written the SUV’s license plate number on her hand, Ms. Harvey said.

Russo continued bond of $50,000 against all three men. Mitchell was taken to Mercer County Jail after failing to post bond. Hess and Stewart posted bond and were released.