2 charged following home invasion
A woman and man were arrested in connection with a Monday night home invasion in Butler during which one of three victims was held at gunpoint, city police said.
Tiffany A. Crawford, 32, and Barry J. Murray, 22, both of Butler are charged with the break-in and robbery about 10:35 p.m. at an apartment on the 500 block of South Washington Street.
Both defendants are being held in Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail each.
But police are still seeking a third robber — an unknown man — in the home invasion.
A call for glass breaking and someone screaming for help sent officers to the apartment building, police said. Officers reported finding broken glass outside one of the apartments.
Inside, documents said, police found three alleged victims — Jack Lefevre, William Stuteville and Elizabeth Walker.
The trio told officers they had been robbed by a white woman and two black men. At least one of the victims identified Crawford but none of them knew either man.
Police interviewed the victims at the station.
Stuteville recounted that he was inside Lefevre's apartment when he opened the door to go out to smoke a cigarette. He said he was immediately “rushed” by three people, according to a police affidavit.
He was knocked down and landed on a glass table, which broke. He said Crawford pointed a handgun at him. The gun, he said, had a red laser sight on it.
He told police that when he tried to get off the ground, the two men punched him.
Stuteville, who said his cell phone was taken, had swelling and bruising to his face.
Lefevre recalled that he was in his bedroom watching television when he heard what sounded like a scuffle outside his door.
While walking out of the bedroom, documents said, he was met by a woman with a gun. He told police that she went through his pockets, taking a cell phone and $71 in currency.
According to Walker's account, she was in the bathroom when she heard glass breaking outside. One of the unknown men asked for her cell phone, which was in the bedroom.
The man left and she closed the door.
Eventually, Walker told police, “everything got quiet,” the affidavit said. A few minutes later, Stuteville opened the bathroom door to check on her.Police said they later found Crawford and Murray at a nearby home. Both were arrested.Crawford admitted that she had gone to the apartment “to confront Stuteville,” documents said. She implicated Murray but claimed she only knew the other man by his street name.She denied, however, that she had a gun during the incident, police said. She also denied that she or the other men took any items.She claimed Stuteville gave her a backpack and told her to leave through the back door, documents said.Murray asked for an attorney and police did not talk to him.District Judge Sue Haggerty arraigned Crawford and Murray on felony charges of burglary, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and trespass.Additionally, Crawford is charged with terroristic threats and receiving stolen property, both misdemeanors, and Murray is charged with simple assault, a misdemeanor.Capt. James Hollobaugh said Tuesday the case remains under investigation but police have no other suspects.
