Wrong house targeted in fatal home invasion in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania; 2nd arrest made
The suspects charged in a deadly home invasion in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, planned to steal guns but had the wrong house, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's office.
Kelvin Roberts, the second suspect, was arrested Tuesday morning near his place of employment, The Junkluggers in Willow Grove.
Police allege Roberts and Charles Fulforth, who was arrested last week, broke into Andrew Gaudio's home on Sunday, Dec. 8, shooting Gaudio and his mother. Gaudio was killed, and his mother, Bernadette Gaudio, was left paralyzed.
"The motive in this case was to steal guns, and they simply got the wrong house," Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said Tuesday. "They went into the wrong house with bad intentions and shot an innocent 61-year-old woman as she lay in her bed, and they executed her 25-year-old son."
Steele said Roberts and Fulforth worked at The Junkluggers, a junk removal business in Willow Grove.
The district attorney said Roberts and Fulforth received information about a "whole lot of guns" at a home after The Junkluggers conducted an estimate on Dec. 6 at a house in Bucks County with a similar address to the victims' in Wynnewood.
"Someone within the business was feeding them information," Steel said, "and our investigation is ongoing."
Investigators said Bernadette Gaudio called police after she was shot multiple times shortly before 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 8 in her home in the unit block of Meredith Road in Wynnewood. Roberts and Fulforth allegedly broke into the house through the basement.
The intended house had gun safes, and the residents of the home "know they were the intended targets at this point," Steele said.
Roberts and Fulforth are suspected of being involved with gun trafficking, Steele said.
Investigators found a 3D printer, and they believe a ghost gun or privately-made firearm was used in the home invasion. Steele said police believe they have the guns used in the incident. They also found zip ties.
Steele said Roberts was arrested Tuesday morning after at least one person at The Junkluggers called police after he showed up. The DA added Roberts was wearing all black with a mask around his neck and was arrested with a gun on him.
Adam Zipper, who works at a nearby business, said he heard police surrounding the buildings in Willow Grove around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Zipper didn't witness Roberts run but saw police and canines chase the suspect down the tracks behind The Junkluggers building.
"Everybody I work with, we all said the same thing," Zipper said. "'Why did he come back here? … Why are you coming back to your place of work? Because we knew the police were watching this place."
Steele said Roberts was arrested after a "slight" chase.
The DA said text messages indicated Roberts was attempting to flee to Jamaica.
"We have his phone," Steele said, "and there was a text message indicating that he was trying to put together money to get to Jamaica and wanted his proceeds from the home invasion and robbery."
Police are asking anyone who recently received an estimate or hired The Junkluggers to call them if they've had items stolen or their homes burglarized.
Steele said Junkluggers' owner is cooperating with the investigation.
In a statement, The Junkluggers said, "The Junkluggers is aware and deeply saddened by the tragic events that took place in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania on Dec. 8, 2024. The Junkluggers of Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties is an independently owned franchise, and the franchise owner is fully cooperating with local and state authorities as the investigation is ongoing in Lower Merion. The individuals involved are no longer employed by The Junkluggers."
Roberts and Fulforth are facing murder, attempted murder, burglary, robbery and gun charges in the incident. Steele said the murder charges have been upgraded from second-degree to first-degree.
