CROYDON, Pa. (WPVI) — Bristol Township police say an uptick in vehicle thefts in the area took a dangerous turn early Friday when suspects fired several rounds in a residential neighborhood in Croydon.
Gunfire rang out on the 1900 block of Colonial Avenue, striking two garages and two vehicles.
Resident Kyle Brooks said he initially mistook the shots for something else.
“My wife and I had an 18-month-old baby in between us. I look out the window. I thought it was a car backfiring,” Brooks said.
Police said two car thieves were responsible for the gunfire.
Lt. Mark Titus of the Bristol Township Police Department said investigators believe the shots may have been directed toward the vehicle of a resident who had confronted the suspects.
“It’s possible that they were targeting a vehicle of a residence that reported that he had confronted them,” Titus said.
Surveillance video shows the suspects checking vehicle door handles before the owner intervened.
“He saw on the Ring camera that one of them appeared to be armed, so he retrieved his firearm as well,” Titus said. “When he got to the front door he yelled ‘hey get out of here and then the individual left.'”
Detectives said the group of thieves got away with a Honda Odyssey and a Dodge Ram truck belonging to Brooks.
“I wasn’t even worried about the truck. Didn’t actually care much. I had no attachment to it. Everyone in the house was safe,” Brooks said.
Residents and police say their main concern is the armed suspects randomly firing shots.
“It’s just senseless,” Brooks said.
Titus said the presence of a firearm made this case particularly dangerous.
“This one was different because the firearm,” Titus said. “The minute that firearms and putting people at risk like that, it takes it up to the next level, and we take it very seriously.”
Police said they have increased patrols and are working with neighboring departments to arrest the suspects. The department is also hiring additional officers and exploring technology, including a drone-as-first-responder program, to help combat crime.
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