Upper Darby cop shooter pleads guilty

The Delaware County man who shot an Upper Darby police officer four times in May pleaded guilty today.

Marvin Marmolejos, 27, of Upper Darby, has been charged with attempted murder, assault of a law enforcement officer, and other related crimes. He will be sentenced in November.

Upper Darby Police Officer Ray Blohm, 31, who still has a bullet lodged near his spine, is undergoing physical therapy and doing well but has not yet returned to work, said Police superintendent Michael J. Chitwood.

"I truly believe the bulletproof vest probably saved his life," said Chitwood. "I am glad for Ray and his family it is over, and he doesn't have to go through the stress and angst of a jury trial."

Just after midnight May 21, Blohm, 31, was on routine patrol near the 69th Street Terminal when he saw Marmolejos drinking from an open container and smoking what appeared to be a joint, police said.

As Bloom, a 10-year veteran, approached and ordered him to stop, Marmolejos walked off. When Blohm threatened to use a Taser, Marmolejos began shooting at the officer with a .22-caliber pistol.

Blohm, the father of two young girls, was hit four times. Two bullets struck him in the back, one fractured a vertebra, one struck his vest, and another other sliced through a police radio cord before nicking his left thumb.

Bloom returned fire, hitting Marmolejos four times in the leg, an arm and the back, and called for backup officers on his cell phone.

Police said they found four sandwich bags containing marijuana, a small bag of crack cocaine, and drug paraphernalia on Marmolejos when he was arrested.

Marmolejos faces 70 years and a $115,000 fine at sentencing.