Community Corner

Hatfield Man Gets Maximum 6 Years for Lansdale Parking Lot Robbery

Stacy Maurice Beckett, 41, of Tulip Drive, pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of a woman, as she sat in her car in a parking lot on Jenkins Avenue near Broad Street.

A Hatfield man who robbed a 30-year-old woman at gunpoint as she sat in her car in a parking lot on Jenkins Avenue in Lansdale has been sentenced to 33 months to six years in state prison, according to North Penn Life.
Stacy Maurice Beckett, 41, of the 100 block of Tulip Drive, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of robbery for the nighttime Oct. 13, 2012 crime. The former burglar had entered into a plea agreement, per the report.
Beckett was tasered by police during his apprehension, about 75 minutes after the 9 p.m. robbery, on the unit block of East Second Street behind Citizens Bank, police said.
Lansdale Police responded to an armed robbery in the area of Jenkins Avenue and Broad Street, police said.
The victim had left the scene of the robbery and fled for her safety to the 7-Eleven at North Broad Street in Hatfield Township, police said.
The victim told police she pulled her car into the weekend overflow parking lot, shared by Montella's Pub and other area businesses, in order to go to work.
A black man in a gray-hooded sweatshirt reached into her window, put a gun to her head, and demanded money, police said.
The victim handed over her wallet and checkbook, police said. He then asked for her cigarettes, police said.
The man, identified as Beckett, fled the scene and the victim fled in her car, police said.
Lansdale and Hatfield Township officers canvassed the area for Beckett.
A co-worker of the victim told police he saw a suspicious black man matching Beckett's description hanging out prior to the robbery in the area of a business near Main and Broad, police said.
The co-worker said it appeared Beckett was casing the area, police said. The co-worker then contacted police minutes later, and told them the Beckett had been seen on Jenkins Avenue, police said.
Police attempted to Beckett, and he ran from police.
Police caught up to him on the unit block of E. Second Street where he became uncooperative with police, police said.
Beckett was tasered and taken into custody. The victim was able to identify the suspect, who police recognized from prior contacts, as Beckett, police said.
The victim's wallet, checkbook and cigarettes were not recovered, according to sources.
Sources told Patch Beckett was transported to Lansdale Hospital for treatment of sanitary issues by Volunteer Medical Service Corps of Lansdale after being tasered.
Beckett had an outstanding Pennsylvania Parole Board warrant at the time of his arrest, and a detainer was lodged against him, police said.
Beckett pleaded guilty in September 2008 to numerous felony theft and burglary charges from Lansdale Borough, and was sentenced to concurrent prison sentences totaling a maximum of three years.
Beckett has had 18 criminal offenses in Montgomery County court since 2000.
He pleaded guilty to use and possession of drug paraphernalia in December 2011 and was sentenced to 80 days in prison.
In July 2009, he pleaded guilty to felony fleeing or eluding an officer and was sentenced to 204 days in prison.


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