Watch CBS News

Jeannette Robbers Get More Than They Bargain For

WESTMORELAND COUNTY (KDKA) -- The alleged suspects in a Jeannete home invasion probably thought it would be an easy hit.

It turned out to be anything but.

"I was making dinner," Margie, the resident said. "I heard this loud crash and thought the ceiling caved in. I tuned around, the air conditioner was kicked out the window and two guys were jumping in dressed in black with guns.."

That's what Margie had to deal with around 8 p.m. Sunday night, when her North Third Street home was broken into.

"I says, 'What the hell you guys doing here?'" she said. "They proceeded to tell me, 'You got a safe and we want any of the jewels and money (I had)' and waved a gun in my face."

However, instead of cowering, Margie got mad. If they were going to take her stuff, she was going to give them a piece of her mind as well.

"He stuck the gun to my temple and I got really upset," she said. She then told them, "'Go ahead and shoot. If you shoot you'll never get anything out of the safe. No one else knows the combo.'"

The alleged thieves are 26-year-old Josh Churchfield of McKeesport and 32-year-old Chad Snyder of Smithton. They took off with the goods and Margie got on the phone.

"As they were heading out the door, I was already dialing 911," she said.

Responding to the call was Jeannette officer Justin Scalzo and K-9 officer Falco who spotted the two suspects heading down on North Fourth Street.

"They had the proverbial deer in the headlights look," Scalzo said.

The two took off abandoning their car. Snyder disappeared, but K-9 Falco found Churchfield. Officer Scalzo arrested him after a scuffle.

"(We) believe all the actors are heroin addicts and this was to get money to purchase narcotics," he said.

Both suspects face robbery and assault charges. That's fine with Margie who has no regrets giving Snyder and Churchfield a tongue lashing.

"I'm just fed up with being taken advantage of, and seniors being taken advantage of," she said. "So I just lectured them like I do my son."

One of the officers involved suffered a hand injury, but will be OK. Margie says other than being shaken up, she is also OK.

RELATED LINKS
More Local News
More Police News

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.