A homeless man was sentenced to up to 25 years in state prison on Monday for a series of violent carjackings and burglaries across the area, including an incident that left an elderly woman hospitalized.
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Kevin O’Connell, 41, came before Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey L. Finley at the Justice Center where he entered a plea of no contest, including two counts each of robbery of a motor vehicle, robbery, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, and terroristic threats, three counts of simple assault and one count each of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
In addition to his prison term, O’Connell must have no contact with his victims, undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation, and pay over $30,000 in restitution.
In 2022, O’Connell committed two burglaries in Tullytown Borough and the Croydon section of Bristol Township, where he stole over $25,000 worth of goods, including cash and electronics. His crime spree also involved two carjackings in Bristol Borough and Bristol Township, where he threatened victims with a syringe, authorities said.
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During sentencing, Judge Finley said: “You didn’t just steal their possessions, in some way, you stole their lives.”
In an August 2022 carjacking at the Bristol Park shopping center in Bristol Borough, O’Connell attacked an elderly woman returning to her car after a medical appointment, injuring her severely enough to require hospitalization. After her refusal to give him money, O’Connell threatened her with a syringe, stole her car, and left her injured on the ground, authorities said.
O’Connell’s arrest happened after the Bristol Borough attack, thanks to witness descriptions and quick police response.
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Subsequent DNA evidence linked him conclusively to the other crimes.
Police linked O’Connell to a March 2022 carjacking at the McDonald’s at 7700 Route 13 in Bristol Township. In that carjacking, O’Connell also threatened the victim with a syringe before driving away in her vehicle, authorities said.
District Attorney Jennifer Schorn commended the investigative team and expressed relief at the sentence.
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“Thanks to this team’s efforts and the sentence that was imposed, a violent offender who went to extraordinary lengths to rob and steal will not be able to prey upon others for quite some time,” Schorn said. “I also applaud the strength and courage the victims displayed in this case.”
She added: “Thankfully, carjackings in Bucks County are relatively rare and given what occurred in this case, the hope is that anyone who may be contemplating carrying out such a violent offense, thinks twice. I am confident they will be caught and prosecuted.”
The case was jointly investigated by the Bristol Borough Police Department, Bristol Township Police Department, and the Philadelphia Police Department.
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