The teenage son of the leader of a Pennsylvania homeless advocacy group has been charged with murdering a homeless man he claims sexually assaulted his girlfriend over the summer.
Police say Thomas James Niarhos, 15, of Stowe, shot Jeremiah Waylon Hawkins, 39, in the face at point-blank range shortly after noon Wednesday before yelling, “He’s a rapist, don’t feel sorry for him.” he”. him,” according to court documents obtained by The Montgomery Daily Voice.
The teenager had reportedly been caught by police loitering near where the fatal shooting took place, just yards from a police station, on July 13, and told officers that Hawkins had raped his girlfriend behind from a nearby trash container.
Niarhos returned to the same location Wednesday with his father’s Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semiautomatic firearm, which he had taken from a locked safe, and got into a physical altercation with Hawkins, according to surveillance footage and a cause affidavit. likely. .
The teenager is currently being held without bail. ABC6 Thomas James Niarhos, 15, has been charged as an adult with the murder of a homeless man. Samantha Niarhos/Facebook
During the dispute, Hawkins attempted to knock the gun out of Niarhos’ hand with a bicycle tire.
Niarhos then fired one shot, causing Hawkins to fall to the ground, before firing a second shot at point-blank range into his face, killing him, police said.
When police arrived, they found a group of bystanders pinning down the teenager, who shouted “He’s a rapist, don’t feel sorry for him” and “he raped a 15-year-old girl, don’t help him,” as he was taken into custody.
The teen claimed the homeless man had raped his girlfriend over the summer. ABC6
The girlfriend, now 16, and her mother were contacted by Pottstown police on July 13 following Niarhos’ report.
The girl told her mother that “something had happened to her,” but the family refused to press charges or investigate the incident, according to court documents.
An autopsy determined that Hawkins had been shot in the side of the face at close range and that the final cause of death was homicide, the outlet reported.
The teenager’s parents, Samantha and Tom Niarhos. The gun belonged to the boy’s father and was kept in a locked safe. Samantha Niarhos/Facebook
Police removed the gun from the scene as part of their investigation.
Niarhos’ father is the executive director of the Pottstown Beacon of Hope, an organization that provides assistance to locals experiencing homelessness.
The young murder suspect also apparently planned to live on the streets, according to his father, who allegedly told police he found a note in his room indicating he planned to flee along with a full bag of clothes.
The teenager is currently being held without bail. ABC6
Niarhos has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a minor, possession of an instrument of crime and other charges, according to court documents.
He is being held without bail at the Montgomery County Juvenile Center and is due back in court on Nov. 30.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn