2 Men Attempt to Break In to State St. Apartment

Two men attempted to break in to an apartment above a State Street store front last week and the resident was home at the time, according to the Media Borough resident.

James Maxwell, who lives on State Street near Jackson, said two men tried to enter his apartment at about 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 5.

Maxwell said he was watching television in his living room and his girlfriend was sick and asleep in bed when he heard a noise and thought his girlfriend had woken up.

He walked down the hallway to check on her but everything was quiet and she was still asleep.

"Something made me think then, 'make sure the door is locked,'" Maxwell said.

When he looked at the lever-handled door knob on the apartment door, he knew something was wrong. The door knob, usually positioned horitizonally, was turned vertical as if someone was about to open it.

Maxwell said he grabbed for the handle and a tug-o-war began between him and a person holding the door on the other side.

He heard a loud noise, which turned out to be one person running down the stairs to the outside, and struggled with the door a bit longer before it swung open and a second person leapt down the stairs and ran out onto State Street, Maxwell said.

"He let go of the door and scaled those steps like a cat," he said.

The stairway lights, which are always kept one, were turned off so Maxwell said it was difficult to see the men.

The street door to Maxwell's building pushes open but then there is a second door which is usually locked but doesn't always latch shut behind you, he said.

He did run to the window to see which way the men ran but he said he thinks they hugged the buildings and stayed under the store awnings because he didn't see them running away.

Maxwell said the two white men appeared to be in their 20's and both were about medium height and build and had short, dark hair. He believed both men were wearing collared shirts but neither had jackets on and it was a cold night.

Maxwell, who has lived in this apartment for six years, didn't immediately call the police and was going to let the incident go until he spoke with his neighbor, who told him she had a break in several years ago.

Maxwell relayed the neighbor's story from years ago, that she had been in her bedroom sleeping and thought she had heard her son and his friend come home late at night. She heard them talking and her dog that was in the bedroom with her was barking at the voices. Presuming the voices were her son and his friend she went back to sleep. But in the morning she realized her son had never returned home that night and her purse and other things were missing from the apartment.

He said police did arrest someone in relation to that incident years ago.

Maxwell reported his incident to on Friday and said the police said they wished he had called them immediately following the incident. Media Patch obtained the police complaint report and it was consistent with Maxwell's story.

Maxwell and his neighbor said they will now make sure that second street door is pulled shut and locked after last week's incident.

He also warned other residents of State Street to make sure their doors and windows are locked and secure.

"People need to lock their doors and windows, because they're coming in whether you're home or not," Maxwell said.

Media Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.