Jeffrey Joseph Grace, 52, of Doylestown is wanted in connection with a robbery incident in Hatboro, police say. (Image courtesy of Hatboro PD)
A man reportedly allowing a “friend” to stay in his apartment claims the friend attacked him, stealing around $20 and threatening his life, police said.
Hatboro Police were dispatched to the Wawa at 412 S. York Road, around 7:03 a.m. on Dec. 11. Prior to arrival, the officers were radioed and told that the incident occurred about 10 minutes prior, and that the complainant wanted to meet police in front of the Wawa, police said.
Police met the victim there and were told that around 10 minutes prior he was assaulted and had money taken from his person by a man known to hi as “Jay Grace,” said the police criminal complaint. The man said that Grace threw him to the ground, hit him multiple times, and took about $20 from him, while telling him he was “going to kill him and strangle him,” at the same time, police said. The victim added that Grace was “possibly carrying long gun in a bag,” the complaint said.
The victim gave police a description of the man, including his clothing, and noted that he walks with a walker/cane to get around, police said. The man told police he believed that Grace was going to head to his apartment, which was nearby.
Police did go to the man’s residence and found his door “cracked open,” said the complaint. Police said they cleared all rooms of the apartment, and Grace was not at the location. They transported the victim to the police offices to prepare a written statement, said the complaint. He told them, at that time, that the incident occurred around the area of a home on Horsham Road in Hatboro, police said.
Police traveled to the area to see if the nearby homes had surveillance cameras and were able to obtain some from the 200 block of Horsham Road, said police. Police said that, after investigating the coverage, they were able to see the victim walk by heading east on Horsham Road around 6:37 a.m. Around 6:46 a.m., a man fitting the description the victim provided is seen walking up to, then lingering around, the home area where the victim said he was assaulted, said the complaint.
According to the criminal complaint, the man believed to be Grace is seen “crouching down while waiting for [the victim] to pass.” Upon passing, Grace begins following the victim, and walk out of the camera’s view, police said.
Police identified the man as Jeffrey Joseph Grace, 52, of the 400 block of Conarroe St., Philadelphia (formerly of Doylestown). The victim said he’d been allowing Grace to stay in his living room of his apartment, police said.
As previously reported in Horsham Now, the police put out an arrest warrant on Wednesday, Dec. 11. Over the weekend, thanks to the work of Abington Township Police, Grace was arrested without incident.
Grace is facing charges including two felony counts of robbery, with a threat of immediate serious injury and robbery by taking of property by force, as well as misdemeanor counts of simple assault, terroristic threats, and theft by unlawful taking. A summary offense of harassment was also noted.
Grace is held in county jail unable to post a monetary bail of $25,000. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 16 at 10:45 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Todd Stephens.
