$10M Bail For Suspect In Deadly Warminster Standoff
By Brad Segall, Jenn Bernstein
WARMINSTER, Pa. (CBS) -- A judge has set bail at $10 million for a Warminster man who held police at bay for several hours during a standoff at an apartment complex along Street Road.
Eighty-nine-year-old Marie Zienkewicz, the downstairs neighbor of the accused gunmen, was killed when she got caught in the crossfire, but authorities did not immediately know who fired the fatal shot. The Bucks County District Attorney is taking over.
"We need to conduct an additional investigation to make sure we know exactly what happened at that scene before we make that determination," said assistant district attorney Matt Weintraub.
The charges against Andrew Cairns include attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment for putting six Warminster police officers at risk.
They were called to the Jefferson on the Creek apartment complex Tuesday night, where they exchanged gunfire with the 49-year-old man before he surrendered early Wednesday morning.
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Prosecutor Matthew Weintraub asked for the high bail.
"Just because of the danger he put the entire community into -- apparently he shot all the way across Street Road into an adjoining community and there were many, many shots fired," Weintraub explained.
"I heard at least like, fifteen gunshots," said Jon Garzon, one of Cairns neighbors.
"The police officer just said get back in, so we were all locked down," explained Renee Sharon, another neighbor.
Deanna Gorman was at her home on Concord Road, a different neighborhood more than 200 yards away, when she heard glass break.
"In the beginning I was very, very scared when I saw this mirror completely cracked, and I was confused," Gorman explained.
She had no idea a bullet had just come through her home, eventually striking right above her bed and landing on the floor.
"It just looked like a small piece of metal and I actually thought maybe a piece of nail from the drywall that had popped through the wall," said Gorman.
Cairns asked the judge to release him on his own recognizance (the judge laughed), and later told reporters he's innocent as he was put back in a police van after his arraignment at district court.
"I'm innocent, none of this happened," said Cairns.
Weintraub says several weapons were found in his apartment. He says they still have investigating to do before they determine who fired the shot that killed the woman downstairs.
It was reportedly a domestic dispute that triggered the gun battle, but Weintraub would not confirm that.
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