Four arrested in Coatesville home invasion

Four men were arrested early Sunday after being caught at the scene of an armed home invasion in Coatesville, police said.

Tyreek Brickus, 19, of Coatesville, is accused of using a gun to force his way into the home in the 300 block of East Chestnut Street around 2 a.m. Police said he held several victims against their will and demanded money.

Responding to a 911 call, police arrived at the home as Brickus was leaving, they said. He was arrested after a brief foot chase, during which he allegedly discarded a .38-caliber revolver, ammunition for the revolver, and items stolen from the home.

Three other men, all Coatesville residents believed to be acting as lookouts and a getaway driver, were caught waiting in a vehicle nearby, investigators said.

Police declined to say what items were taken but estimated their value at more than $1,000. Officers also found several packets of a substance believed to be heroin in Brickus' possession, they said.

Brickus, Donique Griffy, 20; Basil Simms, 23; and Hector Tirado, 20 face dozens of charges, including burglary, robbery, kidnapping and conspiracy.

The four men are in Chester County Prison after failing to post bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 16.

- Michaelle Bond