Burglary, Drug Charges Filed Against Man in Gladwyne Incident

Lower Merion police have charged a 34-year-old man from Bechtelsville, PA, with possession of drug paraphernalia and cocaine possession, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, and two counts of burglary, stemming from several incidents on Jan. 21, according to court documents.

On Jan. 21 at 1:44 p.m., a police officer responded to the 1300 block of Monticello Drive in Gladwyne on report of a suspicious male.

The homeowner told police that a well-dressed 30-year-old male driving a white four-door vehicle came to her door and asked to use the phone. The complainant told police she refused to let the man use her phone, and he left the area, at which point she called police.

Officers in the area then began a check for the white car, and shortly found a car matching that description parked in front of a home on the 900 block of Stoney Lane.

Police heard a security alarm go off in the area, and saw a man, matching the description of the suspicious person, emerge from the home’s property, police said. Upon further investigation, police found that the rear door of the home had been opened, but nothing was missing.

The vehicle driven by the suspect, later identified as Jason Bender, 34, was found to be stolen, police said.

Bender has been charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and cocaine possession, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, and two counts of burglary, according to court documents.

In other incidents from the past week:

Burglary attempt: On Jan. 21 at 4:35 p.m., police conducting a neighborhood check due to another burglary in the area spoke with a homeowner on the 1500 block of Monticello Drive in Gladwyne. The homeowner found the rear cylinder lock to her exterior basement door had been tampered with, but it did not appear that entry was gained, police said.

Theft: A pair of brown loafs with tassels, worth $300, was stolen from the Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne on Jan. 21, according to police. The complainant told police he had dropped off four pairs of shoes to be shined at the club’s locker room, along with $20 cash, on Jan. 21 at 11 a.m. When he returned to pick them up, there were only three pairs of shoes and the $20 was missing, police said; the crime was reported at 10:51 a.m. Jan. 22. The shoeshiner said when he came in, he saw only the three pairs of shoes.

Liquor law violation, public drunkenness: An 18-year-old Villanova student was cited for public intoxication and underage drinking when police observed him stumbling along Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr at 1:55 a.m. Jan. 23, according to the report. The student told police he was coming from Maloney’s Pub and had used a fake I.D. to get inside; he registered 0.195 on a blood alcohol content test, according to the report.