Two arrested in violent Chesco home invasion
Two men have been arrested for hatching and carrying out a plan to invade the home of an elderly Chester County man and steal his money in order to buy heroin, the district attorney said Wednesday.
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Two men have been arrested for hatching and carrying out a plan to invade the home of an elderly Chester County man and steal his money in order to buy heroin, the district attorney said Wednesday.
Zachary Hails and John Reeves, both of Montgomery County, were charged Tuesday with robbery, conspiracy, making terroristic threats, and simple assault.
Hails, 27, of Pottstown, went to 81-year-old Donald Rehrman's house in West Vincent Township on July 21 to repair the refrigerator.
When he was paid for the job, the handyman saw where Rehrman - a widower and Korean War veteran - kept his cash, said Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan.
Hails then orchestrated a scheme with Reeves to return to the house on July 26, when Reeves allegedly assaulted Rehrman and stole money and goods from the house. Afterward, Reeves and Hails took the money to the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia and bought heroin, Hails later told authorities.
In an interview with police, Reeves, 24, of Stowe, admitted struggling with addiction but denied being involved in the robbery, according to the criminal complaint.
According to police, Rehrman answered his door on the evening of July 26 to find a man who told him there was a problem with water in the basement and then pushed into the house, demanding money.
The man, whom police identified as Reeves, shoved Rehrman onto the bed, covered him with blankets, threatened to shoot him, and began going through drawers, Rehrman told police.
Reeves ran out of the house, and Hails was waiting in a car. Rehrman called 911. Police found Rehrman with bleeding wounds on his arms and legs and bruises to his head and an eye.
About $400 in cash, two credit cards, and a laptop were stolen, along with jewelry belonging to Rehrman's late wife and a bottle of prescription medicine, Rehrman reported to police.
The men are being held at the Chester County Prison on $150,000 bail each. Preliminary hearings are set for next Thursday.
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