Police scene Credit: Geralt / Pixabay.com
An 18-year-old Glenside man has been arrested after an early-morning armed robbery and assault in Upper Dublin Township, according to police.
The entire incident began after two juveniles stole an AR-15–style rifle and a katana style sword from a nearby home during a house party in Abington, according to police.
Following the theft, according to the Upper Dublin Township Police Department, officers were called to the Promenade at Upper Dublin, located at 1111 Market Street, around 4:56 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28, for a report of an armed robbery involving two juveniles.
Investigators determined that the two juvenile victims had attended a party in Abington Township earlier that night. While at the party, police said, the teens stole an Armalite 5.56 rifle and a katana-style sword from the home and brought the items back to the juvenile's apartment at the Promenade.
One of the juveniles then contacted an acquaintance, later identified as Jordan Fields, 18, of Glenside, to sell the stolen rifle. The group arranged to meet for the exchange, which also involved another firearm from Fields, in the parking lot of the Promenade complex.
According to police, Fields arrived shortly before 4:30 a.m. with another man. He handed over an unloaded Smith & Wesson handgun and cash in $50 bills totaling $550, later determined to be fake, marked “For Motion Picture Purposes.” When one of the victims realized the money was counterfeit, Fields allegedly attacked him, placing him in a chokehold until he lost consciousness.
The victim fell to the ground, striking his head and suffering facial injuries, including a bloody lip and a missing tooth, police said. The second victim attempted to intervene, but was threatened by the man who accompanied Fields, who pointed a gun at him. The suspects fled on foot with the stolen rifle, the Smith & Wesson handgun, and the other firearm used in the robbery.
Later that afternoon, Upper Dublin police observed a man matching the suspect’s description near Fields’ Glenside home carrying a rifle case and entering a white Honda Accord. When officers attempted a felony stop, the man fled on foot. The vehicle, determined to be an Uber, was searched with the driver’s consent, and officers recovered a rifle, a Smith & Wesson handgun with a partially obliterated serial number, and a box of ammunition.
At around 2 p.m., police spotted Fields leaving his residence on the 300 block of Linden Avenue and conducted a felony stop on a white Toyota RAV4. He was taken into custody without further incident.
A search warrant executed later that day at Fields’ home turned up a black New Balance sweatshirt matching witness descriptions, a stack of $50 bills marked as prop money, a 9mm round, and a gun light mount.
Police said Fields conspired with another, still-unidentified male during the incident. He has been charged with robbery, aggravated assault, theft, and related offenses.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to identify the second suspect.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
