Authorities have charged a local man with two carjackings, including the one that happened last Friday where an 83-year-old woman was badly hurt.
Kevin O’Connell, 40, who has a Bristol Township address but is also reported to be homeless, is being charged with two counts each of robbery of a motor vehicle, robbery, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, terroristic threats, simple assault. He is also facing charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person for Friday’s carjacking. He has yet to be arraigned, but the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office confirmed the charges.
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O’Connell is alleged to have carjacked the 83-year-old woman as she left an appointment at a business in the shopping center on Commerce Circle. Officers were dispatched to the area at 10:05 a.m. and were told by witnesses of the carjacking of the elderly woman’s 2007 Toyota Camry.
The woman was bleeding from her arm and leg at the scene is now recovering after being hospitalized, authorities said.
The elderly woman told investigators she was heading back to her car from a medical appointment when O’Connell approached her window and requested $1 to buy a drink.
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The criminal complaint stated that after she declined to give O’Connell the dollar, the man opened her car door, got in the car, and informed her that “he has AIDS” and was going to give her a shot. He reportedly demanded money from her once more, at which point he took her keys.
O’Connell backed up and set the woman’s keys on the ground as the 83-year-old woman began to honk her horn. O’Connell grabbed the keys off the ground as the woman exited the vehicle to recover them, leapt into her vehicle, and sped off, throwing her to the ground, police said.
On Saturday morning, Bristol Borough police received word from Philadelphia police that the vehicle had been stopped at C Street and Allegheny Avenue in the city. Two people were inside, including O’Connell, who was driving, police said.
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The 83-year-old woman identified O’Connell as the man who carjacked her, police said.
Police spoke to the victim a second time, and she was able to identify Kevin O’Connell as the male who robbed her.
Bristol Township police, using DNA, were able to link O’Connell to a March 16 carjacking that happened at the McDonald’s at 7700 Route 13, according to court papers.
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A woman had just parked her 2019 Chevrolet Trax at the fast-food eatery when a man approached the passenger side and opened the door. The man, later identified as O’Connell , informed her: “I’m a heroin addict and I have a needle. Get out of the car.”
The woman took her keys with her as she ran from her car out of fear for her safety. Due to the keyless ignition, the male was still able to start the car, and he then drove off, police said.
The stolen vehicle later tracked via OnStar to the area of Ruth and Clearfield streets in Philadelphia.
Once the vehicle was recovered, Bristol Township Police took multiple DNA swabs, which recently returned with a match for O’Connell, police said.
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“This man’s arrest for two violent carjackings are as a result of great police work by Bristol Borough PD, and including cooperation from Philadelphia PD, in combination with modern DNA technology,” District Attorney Matt Weintraub said in a statement. “Carjacking is still comparatively rare in Bucks County, and that’s as a consequence of joint law enforcement efforts like these. We will now focus our prosecution on deterring this man, and others from committing these violent acts in the future.”
O’Connell has had police interactions before, and was charged earlier this year by city police with receiving stolen property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He recently had a bench warrant issued in that case ahead of a September preliminary hearing, according to county and city court filings.
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Bucks County court records show cases for O’Connell dating back to the early 2000s, including an unauthorized use of a motor vehicle case.
O’Connell, as of Tuesday, was being held in Philadelphia’s Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility.
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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.
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