A red Nissan Maxima picked up the unidentified individuals wanted in connection with the Jan. 18 home invasion killing of a local businessman, Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler said Wednesday.
Authorities want to hear from anyone who may have seen the vehicle that morning around 10 a.m. behind Quakertown Plaza Shopping Center on the 1400 block of West Broad Street in Quakertown.
"If (the video and photos) ring any bells at all, call 215-453-6011," said Heckler. "The most striking thing (of the vehicle) is the shortness of the trunk lid in proportion to the rest of the vehicle. Certainly, we are interested in information from people who saw it that day."
Joseph Canazaro, 48, was killed in his Hilltown home at 321 Swartley Road by two men who tied up his live-in girlfriend and her school-aged son.
The men are believed to have fled in one of Canazaro's vehicles, which was later found abandoned in Quakertown.
The red Maxima, identified as a model built between 2004 and 2008, was seen on video retrieved from the surveillance camera of the Upper Bucks Health and Diagnostic Center.
"The video is from some distance up the hill above and overlooking the rear of the shopping center," he said.
The video shows at least two individuals unloading items from the Lincoln pickup into the Nissan, before the car drives off.
The vehicle, which arrived in the pickup area from the area of Swamp Road in Quakertown, is said to have a discoloration on its front right fender.
Heckler said it is an "onging investigation." He said authorities know and believe there to be two individuals involved in the case.
"Nothing about this information would indiciate more than two individuals," he said. "This is an ongoing investigation. Could there be more? It’s not a matter I’m going to speculate on."
The suspects are described as a muscular Hispanic male, about five feet, nine inches tall, and a smaller Asian male wearing a black jacket and cargo pants. Both suspects were wearing masks and armed with handguns at the time of the incident.
It was revealed days after the murder that
"We have no reason to change our view on (the suspects)," Heckler said. "Certainly, there are a variety of reasons why one might have ill will or feel Mr. Canazaro owed on something. It doesn't equate to a home invasion murder."
Heckler said authorities have reached a point where they feel the public can help with the case.
Heckler agreed it was preposterous to believe Canazaro's murder was an organized crime hit.
"First, I see the same TV you do. I'm not sure what organized crime means these days," he said. "Some people committed crimes. I’m not going to get into speculating about what the specific motivation was or who they may be connected with."
When asked if authorities had information on the license plate of the suspect vehicle, Heckler said if they got the tag, the public would have heard about it the same day.
Heckler would not release the cause of Canazaro's death. He would also not release information on the amount of cash and jewerly taken in the home invasion.
"I think it's fair to say everybody who is involved in this would like to see it solved," he said. "Everbody has been helpful. The criminals took precautions to be readily identified."
Heckler hoped the public would be able to help crack the case.
“There’s no shortage of these cars, but we’d much prefer to chase down wild geese than miss something that would be helpful to the investigation,” he said.
Hilltown Township Police Chief Chris Engelhart said his department continues to pursue a number of leads at this point.
"(The murder scene on Swartley Road) is very rural, with industrial and commercial buildings nearby. It's a fairly quiet area," he said. "It goes to show it can happen anywhere."
Anyone with information is asked to call 215-453-6011.
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