Police ID Suspect In Home Invasion, Kidnapping And Pursuit In Upper Merion Township
By Walt Hunter and Diana Rocco
UPPER MERION, Pa. (CBS) -- A suspect is in custody following a terrifying home invasion in Montgomery County Tuesday morning.
The incident began at about 8 a.m. at a home near the intersection of Trinity and Holstein Roads in the Gulph Mills section of Upper Merion Township.
Police say the suspect, identified as Keith Morrison, rode SEPTA to the neighborhood, then walked around looking for a house to burglarize, was surprised to find a couple inside the house. He also found a shotgun, police allege, holding the couple at gunpoint, the break-in now a home invasion.
"The female victim is tied up, and the male victim was taken against his will out of the house to get more money from an ATM machine," Upper Merion Police Chief Tom Nolan said.
The victim claimed that Morrison forced him to drive to the Wawa on Rt. 23 in West Conshohocken to take out money. The victim made several withdrawals of cash.
The victim was able to break free after Morrison tied her up and quickly called 911 to report the incident.
Soon after, police spotted Morrison pulling into a SEPTA train lot in Gulph Mills and he quickly fled the scene. Following a short pursuit, police claim the suspect jumped from the stolen BMW, ran across the busy lanes of the Schuylkill Expressway, filled with rush-hour traffic, then climbed a sound barrier wall, before being cornered by police on Bob White Road.
Police found the male victim in the vehicle, where cash and a handgun were recovered.
The male and female homeowners were not injured in the incident.
Police are now looking Morrison for a rash of similar crimes in the area, daytime break-ins close to the trolley line.
"I guess I have to be a little more cautious about locking my house," a neighbor said.
"To hear that she was tied up and these kind of bizarre things are happening in my neighborhood is quite a shock," neighbor Larry Persofsky said. "I still think this a relatively safe area and I'm just really concerned about my neighbor and how he is doing."
Police say Morrison will be charged with robbery, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, burglary and other related charges. He is currently awaiting arraignment.
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