Two men police say are responsible for multiple area purse snatchings turned themselves into Bensalem police on Monday.
Brothers Robert Reilly Jr., 24, and Connor Reilly, 21, are suspected of snatching three purses, two in Bensalem Township and one in Falls Township between November 15 and 16, according to court records.
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Both men were arraigned by District Judge Daniel Baranoski and charged with two felony counts of robbery, three misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking and three counts of receiving stolen property. Their bail was set at 10 percent of $75,000 and they were sent to Bucks County prison.
According to police, the series of purse snatchings began on November 15 at 6:45 p.m. when Bensalem police responded to the parking lot of the Boscov’s at Neshaminy Mall for report of a theft. The victim told police that a male had run up to her vehicle and taken her purse from the front seat while she was on the passenger side of the vehicle assisting an elderly family member. According to the victim, the man then fled on foot and entered a vehicle which fled the area. Police were unable to locate it. The total loss of the items was valued at approximately $400.
The thefts than continued on November 16 at 10:55 a.m. when Bensalem police responded to the Giant Food Store at 2721 Street Road for another reported purse snatching robbery. The victim said that she was placing grocery bags into the trunk of her vehicle and that her purse was inside the shopping cart. The victim stated she had the purse carry handle around her fingers of her left hand while she was placing a grocery bag in her trunk. At that time an unknown male subject grabbed her purse and pulled it away from her. The male then fled the parking lot. Total value for the stolen items were valued at $450, according to court documents.
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A Giant Loss Prevention employee later assisted police with video surveillance, while a nearby witness provided police with the actor’s physical description and a unique vehicle description, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
On November 16 at 5:55 p.m. Falls Township police were included when they responded to a similar purse snatching report at the BJ’s Wholesale Club at 350 Commerce Boulevard. Read more about the incident here.
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According to court documents, both Falls and Bensalem police worked together on the case and were able to track the vehicle’s registration back to the Reilly residence on Forrest Avenue. It was then that police learned from the suspects’ father that the brothers had been kicked out of the residence for theft and repeated drug use. Immediate efforts by police at that time to contact the brothers were unsuccessful.
The affidavit of probable cause notes the brothers gave detailed accounts of the execution of each incident, the last known location of the victim’s property and the reasoning for committing the crimes at police headquarters Monday. Both men admitted to a serious heroin addiction- an addiction which has caused them to commit thefts from their family over the last several months, police said.
The brother’s preliminary hearing is set for November 26 at 1:30 p.m. before District Judge Joseph P. Falcone.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
