Cops: Wanted man turns up as victim at police station
The suspect went to a hearing to testify as the victim, but instead was arrested.
AN ALLEGED heroin dealer who was wanted by police for possessing 153 bags of the deadly drug was himself bagged by authorities when he showed up - at a police station - to testify as a victim at another man's preliminary hearing Friday, cops said.
According to Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood, Sean Lyons, 23, who lived in the township's Merion Trace Apartments, on Merion Terrace near West Chester Pike, had been wanted since last Oct. 14, when authorities served a search warrant on his apartment.
Chitwood said that Lyons was a known heroin dealer in the community and that when cops searched his apartment, they found 27 bags of heroin in a shoe in his room and 126 more bags in a drawer.
Lyons was not home at the time of the search, but his girlfriend and uncle were, Chitwood said.
"We told them we wanted him and he needed to contact us," he said.
Upper Darby police received information that Lyons was hanging out in West Philadelphia, so they sent his picture and a warrant for his arrest to Philadelphia police, Chitwood said.
At some point, Lyons was a victim of a hit-and-run accident in West Philadelphia. Chitwood did not have the details of the accident, nor did he know if Lyons was hit in the crash or if only his car had been damaged. Philadelphia police were not immediately able to provide details on the case either.
The preliminary hearing for the defendant in the hit-and-run case was held Friday on 55th Street near Pine in West Philadelphia, in the building that houses the 18th Police District and the Southwest Detective Division. Lyons was called to testify as a victim that day, police said.
"The officers were waiting for him and, sure enough, he arrived," Chitwood said. "Duh!"
Lyons was arrested and charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and related offenses.
"These guys that sell heroin are purveyors of death," Chitwood said. "And now, he's in the slammer."
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