Suspect caught after standoff

Elias Jimenez was charged in a home invasion last week.

By CARYL CLARKE
Daily Record/Sunday News
Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Police found the second of three home invasion suspects at 12:56 a.m. Monday burrowed in the dirt and ash behind a furnace in the basement of 768 W. Market St., York Police Capt. Bruce Veseth said.

Elias Jimenez, 39, was one of two men police said forced their way into a house in the 300 block of South Queen Street at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and set about kicking and robbing six victims at gunpoint. The third suspect served as their lookout, according to police.

Police allege Jimenez fired two shots at Officer Michael Muldrow as he fled police Thursday night.

Sunday night, Jimenez walked past detectives working on a different case, Veseth said. He said they recognized Jimenez as he entered the apartment building at 768 W. Market St.

The detectives called for backup to secure the perimeter of the building, Veseth said, and about 25 members of the York County Quick Response Team assisted in the ensuing standoff.

They surrounded the building at 768 W. Market and the buildings on each side because they initially thought the buildings’ basements were connected, Veseth said. It turned out they weren’t.

Police said they spotted Jimenez once or twice watching them from a window.

He failed to respond to orders shouted over bullhorns or to answer a telephone thrown in a window, Veseth said.

The captain said tear gas canisters were fired through the windows and door, but the suspect did not come out.

Police finally threw in distraction devices — flash grenades that emit a blinding light and a loud noise — and then forced their way in, Veseth said. Officers seached every room of the building, even checking above ceiling tiles.

Jimenez was finally found crouching behind the furnace, according to Veseth.

He refused to come out, Veseth said.

Duty District Justice Nancy Edie arraigned Jimenez, of no fixed address, on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, burglary and six counts of robbery. He remained in the York County Prison on Monday in lieu of $25,000 bail.

The home invasion on Queen Street sparked two long standoffs. The first started Thursday night and lasted 13 hours as police combed the area around the building that was broken into. Residents were told to stay in their homes.

Police arrested Dwight Bartow, 24, of Dauphin County, but could not find the other suspects.

Veseth said Bartow provided police with the names of two men he said were involved — Jimenez and a supect who remains at large.

Detectives have not yet figured why the people were attacked Thursday night, Veseth said.

Police came to the home after a woman had called 911 about men in her rowhouse robbing people downstairs.

Muldrow and Officer Andy Baez looked in a window and saw someone being thrown to the floor, according to the arrest affidavit in District Justice Ronald Haskell’s office.

The two officers knocked on the door. Upon entering, they saw several people face down on the floor. The victims said that they had been robbed and that the robbers were running out the back door.

The victims said the robbers had ordered them to the ground at gunpoint and stole jewelry and money, according to the affidavit. They said they were kicked and that earrings were ripped from one person’s ears.

The third suspect apparently was the lookout, Veseth said. He probably ran off when he saw police arriving, Veseth said.

The captain praised the detectives who spotted Jimenez and the teamwork that led to his arrest.

“This man was desperately trying to get away,” Veseth said. “He fired at a police officer. We wanted to get him off the streets.”

Reach Caryl Clarke at 771-2032 or caryl@ydr.com.