A Hatfield man has been arrested after he allegedly brought a firearm to a basketball court and implied that it had been used in three murders in New York.
According to the criminal complaint, Hatfield Township Police received an anonymous tip on July 27 stating that a man—later identified as 18-year-old Angel Viruet, of the 100 block of Penn Street—had brought a firearm to a basketball court along the 2500 block of Chestnut Street. The tipster told police that Viruet claimed that he had information concerning the firearm being used in three murders in New York City, the report states.
At 5:10 p.m., police went to the home of Viruet and spoke to both him and his mother. The complaint states that VIruet told police about issues he’s had with two juvenile males over the past several years, including them allegedly robbing him on one occasion and locking him in a basement on another. Viruet told police that he had heard rumors on the basketball court at Hatfield Village Apartments that the two juveniles were planning on robbing him again, which made him fearful, according to the report.
Through further discussion with Viruet and his mother, police learned that Viruet had allegedly stolen a 9mm Ruger handgun that was registered to his mother and locked in a safe within their home, the report states. Viruet—who does not have a concealed weapons permit—allegedly confessed to taking the weapon, placing it into a backpack and taking it to the basketball court on the day in question, according to the report.
The weapon was recovered from the backpack, which was sitting on the couch in Viruet’s living, according to the report. The claims of its use to commit crimes in New York were unfounded.
As a result of the investigation, Viruet has been charged with one felony count of firearms not to be carried without a license.
Viruet was arraigned on Aug. 28 by Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine, who set bail at $5,000 unsecured. His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing in front of Judge Levine on Sept. 16 at 2 p.m.
(Editor's note: All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause, and reflects the point of view of the police. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
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