Citizens helped take a robbery suspect into custody.
George Blackwell, 60, of Levittown, was taken in custody by a group of citizens late Saturday morning.
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According to the probable cause affidavit, Blackwell caught a woman as she opened her car door in the parking lot of the Fairless Hills Credit Union on Oxford Valley Road in Bristol Township.
Blackwell reportedly slashed at the victim with a box cutter before taking her purse containing cash and credit cards, court documents said.
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After the initial confrontation, Blackwell began to run when several witnesses intervened and brought him to the ground, according to court documents.
When responding officers arrived, they found Blackwell being restrained by several of the aforementioned witnesses, the probable cause affidavit stated.
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Blackwell was arraigned after 5 p.m. in Judge John Waltman’s court in Feasterville. Blackwell is being charged with a number of offenses including robbery, including felonies of robbery and aggravated assault, and misdemeanors including simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, possession of an instrument of crime with intent to use it, receiving stolen property and theft by unlawful taking of property.
Blackwell’s bail was set at $100,000. In setting the high bail, Judge Waltman cited instances in Waltman’s past reminiscent of violent behavior and the fact that Blackwell was already on bail when Saturday’s incident unfolded.
“I see you as a clear and present danger to the public,” Waltman stated while arraigning Blackwell by video.
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Blackwell’s preliminary hearing has been set for February 16, 2016 at 9 a.m. at Judge Robert Wagner’s court.
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.
