Man Charged Following Gun Thefts, Manhunt

Shuffle, click, click.

That’s the sound that came from the rifles of SWAT team officers in Falls Township as they geared up to search a home on Buttonwood Lane. Inside, they feared a potentially armed man – Phillip Culley, 30, of Levittown – was hiding.

As many as five heavily-armored officers searched the home, flashlight beams could be seen shining through the one-story structure. Within 15 minutes, the officers came out empty handed as neighbors could be seen peering from their windows.

“No luck,” one officer said of the search.

The manhunt, which started after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, continued. Earlier in the evening, a Philadelphia Police Helicopter was called and assisted Falls and other agencies as they searched for Culley in several parts of the township.

The search for Culley continued through the night and into Thursday morning, when Culley was arrested.

According to court papers, Culley broke into an acquaintance’s home on Tanglewood Lane and stole two shotguns and ammunition before driving off in the man’s 2005 Ford F-350 truck.

The girlfriend of the Tanglewood Lane resident arrived to see Culley get in the truck, police said. She reportedly told officers that Culley had told her he had permission to take the truck.

Inside the Tanglewood Lane home, the resident found the back screen cut on the window and his broken gun case in the family room. A ransacked bedroom and attic were also discovered, police said. Court papers note Culley did not have the owner’s permission to drive the F-350.

“The defendant then left a note written on a piece of plywood in black magic marker admitting to being the one who broke in and stolen the items,” Officer Nicholas Pinto wrote in an criminal complaint.

Lt. Hank Ward said officers discovered the stolen F-350 parked in the Vermilion Hills section and later came to believe Culley may have been hiding on Buttonwood Lane.

As police searched the neighborhoods with the helicopter above, neighbors hunkered down, worried about what was going on in their usually quiet sections. Pinto wrote in court papers that the manhunt caused by Culley caused residents to be “placed in fear.”

Early Thursday morning, officers said they were concerned because they could not get in touch with Culley’s girlfriend. By Thursday morning, it was clear she was safe, according to comments she made to a LevittowNow.com reporter and police.

Culley was recently released on bail after he allegedly made terroristic threats during a domestic dispute with his girlfriend late last month. Police said they found him armed on Buttonwood Lane. During his April arrest, three of Culley’s legally-owned firearms were confiscated, they remain at the police station, an official said.

Culley was arraigned Thursday morning on new charges of burglary, criminal trespassing, theft by unlawful moving, receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and disorderly conduct. He was sent to county prison on 10 percent of $800,000 bail.

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.