Felony Burglary Charges Withdrawn Against Morgan Log House Suspects

Heather Spotts, 19;  Kevin Himes, 22; and Matt Copenhaver, 21, walked into Lansdale district court Tuesday facing felony charges of burglary — and walked out with the charges withdrawn.

Felony charges of burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary and criminal trespass were withdrawn by Towamencin Township Police at stipulated preliminary hearings Tuesday for the trio.

Misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and loitering/prowling remained against all three.

A misdemeanor charge of defiant trepass, however, was added against all three, according to court records.

Bail for Himes and Copenhaver was reduced from $50,000 cash to $5,000 unsecured. They were released following the stipulated hearings Wednesday.

Spotts was released on $50,000 unsecured bail on Nov. 5, according to court records.

All three head to arraignment on Jan. 2, 2013 at Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.

Towamencin Township Police Officer Patrick Horne said the bail was reduced because the amount it was originally set at was not suitable for the charges that were waived at the hearing.

Horne would not comment as to why the felony charges were withdrawn.

On Nov. 6, at 12:17 a.m., Spotts left a comment under the initial story on the burglary:

hey everyone i wish this was not such a hot topic. there was no intentions on stealing or disrupting the community. what happened to innocent until proven guilty? anyways nobody gave time for even an apology. if you are a caretaker of the Morgan Log House i give you my remorse and pray there is no damage done. my apologizes are to everyone that has been effected by this. i started writing a letter i hope to share at my hearing, for those who will not be there my apologizes go out to the arresting officers, towamencin community, the local residents, morgan log house owners and care team. and of course my friends and caring family.

According to the criminal complaint, Towamencin Police were dispatched on Nov. 3 at 7:16 a.m. to Morgan Log House for three subjects trying to break into the building.

A witness advised Montgomery County Dispatch that the subjects had a white Pontiac Sunfire with the license plate "AGOOBER" parked on Stonybrook Lane near Weikel Road, according to the affidavit. The witness described the suspects as three white males dressed in black.

The witness told dispatch that the three subject were then seen running to the white car. The driver of the white car then backed the car in reverse down Stonybrook Lane, according to the affidavit.

Resident David Schmidt, of Stonybrook Lane, told Horne that he saw the Sunfire with a Sunoco bumper sticker on the passenger side, according to the affidavit. Schmidt told Horne that the driver backed the Sunfire down Stonybrook Lane onto Pickwick, where he lost sight of them, according to the affidavit.

Towamencin Police located the Sunfire parked, and unoccupied, in front of 1333 Pickwick Lane, according to the affidavit. The vehicle turned out to be registered to Spotts, according to the affidavit.

A resident of 1333 Pickwick Lane said the Pontiac was not there at 6:30 a.m. and he or she did not know who the car belonged to, according to the affidavit.

As police were tending to the vehicle, Towamencin Officer John Cutrone went to Morgan Log House. There, he found forced entry was made to the north side window and the alarm had been tripped, according to the affidavit.

The alarm was a motion alarm, and could only be tripped by someone entering the building, according to the affidavit.

Meanwhile, on Stonybrook Lane, Towamencin Police officers allegedly saw three subjects dressed in dark clothing behind 711 Conestoga Lane, according to the affidavit.

All three were looking toward police, according to the affidavit. As police started walking toward the trio, they ran south behind houses on Stonybrook Lane, according to the affidavit.

The subjects were found to be two males and one female, identified as Himes, Copenhaver and Spotts, according to the affidavit.

All three were caught on the porch of 1290 Stonybrook Lane, which is the home of Himes, according to the affidavit.

Police said all three allegedly resisted arrest as they were taken into custody.

The Pontiac, police said, was originally parked in front of Himes' residence at the time of the alleged burglary, according to the affidavit.

All three were identified by witnesses as the three subjects who gained entry into Morgan Log House, according to the affidavit.

Read More on This Story:

• Three Nabbed in Morgan Log House Burglary