Last night, a jury convicted Richard B. Washington, age 56, of burglary, robbery, and related offenses after a two-day trial before Judge William T. Tully of the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas.  On January 15, 2019, shortly after midnight, Derry Township Police officers responded to a home invasion-robbery in progress at the Briarcrest Apartments in Hershey.  A young woman called 911 indicating someone was in her home and was threatening her roommate at knifepoint.  Police arrived at the scene within minutes.  Officer Dennis Eckenrode indicated that it is highly unusually for the police to be able to get to a robbery scene while the offender is still in the home but police were able to do just that here.  As police entered the rear of the home, the intruder, Richard Washington, exited the front door—right into the path of four officers.  Washington attempted to flee from the officers, but the officers took him into custody following a struggle in the parking lot.  The victim of the attack explained that she heard noises in her home but erroneously presumed it came from her roommate or neighbors. 

The victim tearfully explained that as she heard footsteps on her stairwell, her door opened to reveal a large male in her bedroom with a flashlight and a knife in his hands.  The intruder told her he that would not hurt her if she complied with his demands—telling her he was there “to rob her”.  During the robbery, he held his rubber-gloved hand over her mouth as she attempted to scream, struck her in the face, and repeatedly threated her with the knife.  Hearing the victim’s screams, her roommate called 911.  During the trial, the jury heard the chilling 911 calls. Derry Township Police arrived on scene within five minutes of the first 911 call.

Judge Tully scheduled sentencing for May 9, 2022.  Washington faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 to 50 years of imprisonment with the possibility of life imprisonment on account of his multiple, prior convictions for felony crimes of violence.  The defendant’s lengthy criminal history includes robbery with a firearm in Brooklyn, N.Y. (1988), robbery with a dangerous weapon in Rochester, N.Y. (1992); burglary of a home in which one or more person was present in Dauphin County (2011), and numerous other theft and trespass offenses.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gettle spoke of the courage of the two roommates who testified as victims.  “The courage that these two women exhibited when facing every person’s greatest fear—being attacked in the middle of the night while you are in your bed—is remarkable.  Then they were forced to relive that nightmare in a courtroom, in the presence of the attacker.  Thankfully, due to their courage, the defendant will never be able to hurt another person again.”

The Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office also credited the efforts of the Derry Township Police Officers that night—“their quick response prevented the escape of this violent offender”.  Gettle also expressed gratitude to late Officer Michael L. Henry.  “Officer Henry worked diligently to ensure that all aspects of this investigation were thoroughly covered.  Sadly, he passed away in January of 2020 and was not able to see the conclusion of the case.  Mike was in our thoughts during this emotional trial.”