The teenage son of the head of a Pennsylvania homeless advocacy group has been charged with killing a homeless man who he claims sexually assaulted his girlfriend over the summer.
Police say Thomas James Niarhos, 15, of Stowe, shot Jeremiah Waylon Hawkins, 39, in the face at close range shortly after noon on Wednesday before yelling, “He’s a rapist, don’t feel sorry for him,” according to court documents obtained by The Montgomery Daily Voice.
The teenager was reportedly arrested by police who were loitering near the scene of the fatal shooting, just meters from the police station, on July 13, telling officers at the time that Hawkins had raped his girlfriend behind a nearby dumpster.
Niarhos returned to the same spot Wednesday with his father’s .40-caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun, which he had removed from a locked safe, and engaged in a physical altercation with Hawkins, according to surveillance footage and a probable cause affidavit. .
Thomas James Niarhos, 15, has been charged as an adult in the murder of a homeless man. Samantha Niarhos / Facebook
During the dispute, Hawkins tried to knock the gun out of Niarhos’ hand using a bicycle tire.
Niarho then fired one shot, knocking Hawkins to the ground, before firing a second shot at close range into his face, killing him, police said.
When police arrived, they found a group of onlookers blocking the teenager, who shouted “He’s a rapist, don’t feel sorry for him,” and “He raped a 15-year-old girl, don’t help him,” as he was taken into custody.
The teenager claimed the homeless man had been raping his girlfriend over the summer. ABC6
The girlfriend, now 16, and her mother were contacted by Pottstown Police on July 13 following Niarhos’ report.
The girl told her mother that “something had happened to her,” but the family declined to press charges or investigate the incident, according to court documents.
An autopsy determined that Hawkins had been shot in the side of the face at close range and the cause of death was homicide, the outlet reported.
The teenager’s parents, Samantha and Tom Niarhos. The gun belonged to the boy’s father and had been kept in a locked safe. Samantha Niarhos / Facebook
Police recovered the gun from the scene as part of their investigation.
Father Niarhos is the Executive Director of the Pottstown Beacon of Hope, an organization that provides assistance to local residents experiencing homelessness.
The young homicide suspect also apparently planned to live on the streets, according to his father, who reportedly told police he found a note in his bedroom indicating he planned to run away with a packed suitcase.
The teenager is currently being held without bail. ABC6
Niarho has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a minor, possession of a criminal instrument and other charges, according to court documents.
He is being held without bail at the Montgomery County Youth Center and is expected back in court on Nov. 30.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
