Crime & Safety

Home Invasion Thwarted When Victims Realized Weapon Was BB Gun, Police Say

According to Phoenixville Police, the gunman was threatening to shoot a 9-month-old infant in the Bridge Street apartment.

A Bridge Street family turned the tables on four home invaders last week, when they and a group of friends realized the alleged would-be robbers were armed with a BB gun, not a revolver, and forced them out of the apartment.

Linden Charles Hornung, 18, the alleged gunman, was arrested and charged for the crime. Phoenixville Patch is attempting to get information on the status of his three alleged partners.

According to court documents, on February 7 sometime before 7:03 p.m., four men assaulted a Phoenixville man and his companion outside his 200 Bridge Street apartment.

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The attackers, all black males, had their hoods pulled up, obscuring their faces, and one of the men brandished what appeared to be a revolver. While the man with the gun threatened the two, a second attacker punched the resident in the face. The assailants then forced the two into the apartment, at gunpoint, where four of the victim’s friends—including his nine-month-old infant—were waiting.

Once the assailants were inside, they punched a third victim in the face, then held all six people at gunpoint while they ransacked the apartment. During this time, the gunman pointed the revolver at the infant and threatened to shoot the child, adding that he would throw the baby out of the window if the terrified group didn’t hand over whatever cash they had. Ultimately, the assailants made away with almost $2,000.

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The burglars’ success was short lived. At some point during the robbery, one of the victims realized the revolver was, in fact, just a BB gun, and the group then attacked their attackers. During the ensuing struggle, three of the burglars ran out of the apartment, while the fourth escaped only after the victims removed his boots and struck him in the head with the but of his pellet gun.

One of the victims recognized the escaped gunman, and identified him to police as Linden Charles Hornung, 18, a resident of the 300 block of South Main Street. Phoenixville Police went to Hornung’s residence, and spoke with his housemate, who confirmed that while Hornung was not home, when he stopped by earlier he was bootless and suffering from an apparent head injury.

Hornung was arrested on February 8, arraigned, and charged with felony counts of robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, and 24 additional misdemeanors related to the incident.

He was confined to Chester County Prison when he was unable to post $100,000 bail and faced preliminary hearing on February 14.


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