11-year-old among 5 arrested in theft fromDelco gun shop

Cops: 11-year-old among 5 arrested in theft fromDelco gun shop
By WILLIAM BENDER
Philadelphia Daily News

WHEN POLICE phoned early yesterday, the mother of an 11-year-old boy assured them that her son was at home in bed.

But surveillance cameras at the Suburban Armory in Delaware County show he was miles from his Philadelphia home.

Her little boy, police said, had been arrested as part of a teenage posse that tried to pull off a brazen gun-shop heist in Collingdale Monday night by dismantling the external alarm system and throwing a boulder through the window.

They arrived on public transportation and used a pair of schoolbags to carry 14 semiautomatic handguns - plus the owner's loaded .38-caliber revolver - and about 250 rounds of ammunition stolen shortly before midnight, authorities said.

"I'm shocked an 11-year-old, first of all, was even out at that time, let alone breaking into a gun shop," said Joseph Galiano, a certified NRA instructor and owner of the Suburban Armory, on MacDade Boulevard.

Collingdale Police Chief Robert Adams said the two adults and three juveniles were smart enough to snip the phone lines behind the building, and that they may have tested police response time recently by tripping the alarm.

But their escape plan fell short. They didn't have a getaway car, and police quickly apprehended two of the suspects outside a Pat's Pizzeria around the corner from the Collingdale police station. Two others were busted at a SEPTA bus stop down the road.

The 11-year-old, Adams said, was arrested on the bus when the driver got caught up in a traffic jam that was caused by the police investigation into the crime.

"I wasn't stunned, I was shocked. I just could not believe that an 11-year-old kid would be involved in something like this. It's just deplorable," Adams said, adding that the boy was "directly involved" in the burglary.

"It's just a scary thought that in today's society kids are stealing guns like this and putting them back on the street," he said.

The two adults, Leroy Taylor, 19, of Philadelphia, and Khalik Keyser, 18, of Chester, were arraigned yesterday on charges of burglary, theft, criminal trespassing and related offenses. In 2005, Keyser pleaded guilty to attempted murder and weapons charges in Philadelphia and is on probation, according to court records.

Neither commented as they were led from the police station.

Besides the 11-year-old, police arrested Keyser's 16-year-old brother and a 15-year-old Collingdale boy. The Daily News is withholding their names because they are minors. They were awaiting a hearing yesterday in juvenile court.

"This is the scary underbelly of the activity that's going on that has resulted in a number of shots-fired incidents, aggravated assaults with firearms and, in fact, gunshot homicides not only here in Delaware County but in Philadelphia and throughout the region," said Delaware County District Attorney G. Michael Green.

"These kinds of weapons on the street are the type of weapons that we frequently find used in the commission of crimes - obviously violent crimes and homicides," Green said, adding that Chester recently experienced six homicides in a week.

Police have not determined what the thieves planned to do with the guns - two Glocks, a Ruger, four Smith & Wessons, two Cobras, a Bersa, a Springfield, two Tauruses, a Sky and a Beretta - but Green said it appeared from the quantity that they were going to be resold.The thieves might have gotten away if not for a witness who called 9-1-1 and identified all five suspects.

"It just goes to show you how important the community is," Adams said. "Without the witness last night, I do not feel these arrests would have been possible."

Galiano's shattered door was boarded up yesterday, but he plans to reopen the armory soon. "That's why I sell guns," he said. "So people can protect themselves from the bad element."

"Very shocking," said Collingdale Officer Patrick Crozier, who responded to the burglary. "I don't know what was going through his head." *

Staff writer Christine Olley contributed to this report.

Tags: 11-year-old, 5, among, arrested, fromDelco, gun, in, shop, theft

Comment by Pootie Mane Laflair on August 21, 2008 at 11:46am: stupid. Enjoy being a kid. The real world gonna be there and you need to be ready for it. These jits gettin stupid

Comment by ORANGE MOUND VET.AKA MR.22 SHOTS. on August 21, 2008 at 2:50pm: THEM OLDER ONE PUT THE KID UP TO THIS BUT I DON'T KNOW CAUSE AT ELEVEN YOU NO RIGHT FROM WRONG THIS WORLD IS ALL FUCKED UP THAT SHIT HAPPEND DOWN HERE IN MEMPHIS TWO 12 YEAR OLD BOY'S DID THE SAME THING LAST SUMMER FROM A GUN STORE BUTTHEY DID WHILE IT WAS OPEN THEIR MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER TURNED THEM IN THOUGH...

Comment by miss montgomeri on August 21, 2008 at 4:17pm: all them boys about to mess their whole life up.

Comment by QUA on August 21, 2008 at 7:48pm: shit git needed dat fire

Comment by Smoke-Dangerous For Yo Health on August 22, 2008 at 1:14am: Dat shits fukked up but u gotta do wut u gotta do to survive...

Comment by nicodelic on August 22, 2008 at 2:14am: whats the difference between them braking in and stealing the guns and Galiano selling these guns?
either way they(guns) end up shooting someone and taking a life.Just cause his business is legit don`t make no difference to me between Galiano and the thieves trying to sell the guns or for whatever purpose.

Drugz,Sex,violence,money is what America is all about.
the biggest criminal wins.

And now they wanna blame the kids,you reap what you sow.
It all starts at the top,the government,the community,the parents,the whole world.
don`t just sit back and blame the parents,you too are to blame.

Look at the state of the economy right now and watch the crime rate.

Comment by binky on August 22, 2008 at 2:34am: all i have 2 add is phila. you a real tight city but maybe with kids getting smart enough 2 set the alarm off sit back watch and learn from that? wow who teaching who? get more programs started show another way cause wit obama going at the world strong at least let or youngins go strong 2.

Comment by Stikk-Mann on August 22, 2008 at 12:35pm: i hope the 2 old niggas blame themselves 4 doing shit like dat wit jits- on fuckin bus- round hear we call dat fasting. and if you older than a nigga by 1 year or more and u ingnore your moral responsibility, dats what happen. 1 person can throw a brick, enter somewhere, and wear a backpack......... i got luv 4 all da niggas younger than me but u muthafuckas gotta stay outta exitement world- everytime somebody buss a move u wanna be there, PLAY YOUR ROLE ONLY- SINCE EERBODY WANNA PLAY EVERY ROLE, A BITCH SEEN EERBODY!!! I COULD JUS PICTURE 5 DUMB ASS, PROBBLY LOUD ASS JITS ALL IN FRONT THE STORE WHEN THE GLASS BROKE, ALL RUNNING IN WITH 1 FUCKIN BOOKBAG, AND ALL RUNNIN OUT AT DA SAME......LOL OLDER NIGGAS MANN UP AND HANDLE YO OWN & STOP GETT'N DEEZ JITS FUCKED UP. YOUNGGA NIGGAS DONT BE SO JUMPY & THINK. I AINT SAY'N GO DO BAD SHIT & I AINT SAY'N GO 2 CHURCH......... I'M SAY'N XTRA NIGGAS MEAN XTRA SHIT AND IF HOLLA @ U BOUT A LIC DATS POSED 2 BE EZ, THEN ASK HIM Y HE NEED U. THINK 4 YOSELF

Comment by Stikk-Mann on August 22, 2008 at 12:54pm: I DONT BLAME THE PARENTS CUS THEY TRAPPED IN THE SYSTEM- THEY HAVE WORK AND REST NO MATTER HOW MUCH TIME THEY WANNA SPEND- I CAUGHT MY 1ST B&E WHEN I WAS 10 AND IN NO WAY WAS IT MY MOMMA'S FAULT- I WAS WIT OLDER DUMB NIGGAS.... SAME NIGGA PUT ME ON DA LIC BROUGHT POLICE 2 MY HOUSE & SAID "DATS HIM" CUS HE GOT CAUGHT. I GOT SMARTER AFTER DAT.. ....FUCK U CHUCK FROM 104ST.