New Castle Home Invasion Suspect Leaves Phone At Scene, Easily Identified
NEW CASTLE (KDKA) – A Lawrence County man made it pretty easy for police to identify him after a home invasion last week.
The incident happened in the 1300-block of Wilmington Avenue around 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
The suspect, Brandon Curtis Bame, 29, of South New Castle, is accused of kicking in the back door of the home and stealing the victim's wallet.
The victim, who will remain anonymous, says Bame first knocked on her door claiming his car broke down and he wanted to use her telephone.
"I had said, 'Go next door,' said they will help you because I knew there was a fella next door," the victim said.
Minutes later, Bame came back. The victim sent him away and locked her door. But he returned again and kicked the bottom out of the kitchen door, crawled in and stole her wallet from the kitchen counter.
"I screamed my lungs out and nobody heard me, and I just stood and couldn't believe it actually happened," the victim said. "He just grabbed the wallet and went right back out the way he came in."
But Bame made a mistake. While crawling back out, officials say he dropped his cellphone, leaving it outside the door where it was found later by New Castle Police.
The officers inspected the phone and discovered the owner's name and identity.
"They went under the profile picture in the cell phone and it had a picture of Brandon Bame," said Lt. Dave Cumo, of New Castle Police.
The victim was then able identify Bame from the picture on his cell phone.
"His face was right there and with what he actually had on at that time," the victim said. "I had an angel with me."
Bame will face a list of charges including, burglary, theft and criminal mischief.
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