WHITPAIN >> Two of three men charged with burglary in a home invasion style break-in at a West Ambler home in October waived their preliminary hearing Dec. 13.
Reuben V. Washington, 23, of the 6600 block of North Gratz Street, Philadelphia; and Justin E. Andrews, 19, of the 100 block of West Ruscomb Street, Philadelphia, appeared before District Judge Robert Sobeck Wednesday and agreed to waive the charges against them to county court. Another co-defendant, David W. Thompson, 19, also of the 6600 block of North Gratz Street, had waived similar charges during a Nov. 28 preliminary hearing.
The three allegedly kicked in the front door of a home in the 300 block of Railroad Avenue at 1:27 a.m. Oct. 27 and entered the home, but fled when the security alarm went off, according to a criminal complaint. They were stopped in a vehicle at Railroad and Mt. Pleasant avenues, about 50 feet from the victim’s home.
Images of the three males captured on a surveillance camera outside the victim’s home matched the occupants of the vehicle and the three, identified as Thompson, Washington and Andrews, were taken into custody, the complaint says.
Each was charged with felony counts of burglary, conspiracy and criminal trespass, and misdemeanor counts of loitering and prowling at night and criminal mischief. At the hearing Dec. 13, Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Scott Frame added a felony charge of carrying a firearm without a license to the charges against both Washington and Andrews, and an additional felony charge of a person not to possess a firearm against Washington.
In exchange for waiving his preliminary hearing, Washington, who was represented by Joseph Green, will be offered a 3 ½ to 5-year sentence if he pleads guilty at the first pretrial conference, Frame said. Similarly, a 2- to 5-year sentence will be offered to Andrews, who was represented by Qawi Abdul-Rahman, as long as he pleads guilty at the first court hearing, he said.
It was also agreed that bail for both men, originally set at $100,000 cash, be reduced to $99,000 cash with a condition that the men not be released from the county prison without a hearing in Common Pleas Court, Frame said.
Formal video arraignment on the charges is scheduled for Jan. 31.
