Dion Murph, 28, of Norristown.
A Norristown man has been sentenced to county jail after pleading guilty to charges stemming from an incident that occurred in Lansdale Borough in August 2019.
Dion Murph, 28, has been sentenced to 11-and-a-half-months-to-23-months in county jail after pleading guilty to felony counts of criminal trespassing - break into structure and aggravated cruelty to animals, in late January. In addition to the jail time, Murph will also serve five years of probation upon his release, and he has been ordered to avoid all contact with the victims, according to court records.
According to the criminal complaint, police were dispatched to an apartment in Lansdale Borough at 9 p.m. on Aug. 3, 2019, for a report of an incident. Once on location, police met with the victim, who stated that their daughter and granddaughter were outside looking for their kitten. The three then went inside and spoke with police.
The victim said that while the three of them were leaving the residence at 4 p.m., they noticed a man—identified as then-26-year-old Dion Murph—in the area of the apartment. The victim said that when they arrived home just before 9 p.m., they entered their bedroom and saw Murph hiding under a blanket. They confronted him as to why he was in the home, at which point he left, the report states.
The family then called police.
The ensuing investigation uncovered that Murph had gained access to the apartment via a window-unit air conditioner in the granddaughter’s room. Police found Murph in nearby bushes and took him into custody without incident, police said.
The report states that the family was very upset about not being able to find the kitten, and they told police that they thought Murph may have done something to it. When asked, Murph told police that the cat had gotten out of the residence, the report states.
As police were at the station processing Murph, they received another call from the victim, stating that they had found the kitten and taken it to the vet. The victim advised police that the kitten was discovered in a tightly wrapped towel with plastic bags placed on top of it. According to the report, the vet said that the kitten was struggling to breathe and was minimally responsive. The report adds that it was unknown if the kitten would survive.
Additional charges of burglary, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and an additional count of aggravated cruelty to animals were withdrawn during Murph’s guilty plea hearing, according to court records. Other charges of endangering the welfare of children and an additional count of felony burglary were dismissed at Murph’s preliminary hearing.
Court records indicate that Murph received time-served credit for 544 days, as he has remained in custody since his arrest in August 2019. Though his time-served credit exceeds the minimum sentence imposed, current court records continue to show Murph remains in custody at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
See also:
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