A Lancaster man will serve at least 4 years in prison for targeting two occupied city homes, at random, for burglaries in April.
Samuel Sanchez entered one home – on Virginia Avenue – and fled from the other on Buchanan Avenue when occupants saw him trying to get inside via broken window.
Sanchez, 36, was recently sentenced in Lancaster County Court to 4 to 8 years in prison after pleading guilty to felony counts of burglary and attempted burglary.
First Assistant District Attorney Christopher P. Larsen arranged the plea agreement which was accepted and ordered by County Judge Merrill Spahn Jr.
Sanchez targeted both homes on the morning of April 23.
At the Buchanan Avenue home, he broke a window and tried to open a door, but was caught in the act by a couple that lived there. The occupants provided police a description of the man who was wearing a yellow and blue striped long-sleeved shirt with a hood.
About 40 minutes later, police were called to a home on Virginia Avenue where an intruder broke a window and entered via basement Belco doors.
An occupant watched the intruder, wearing a yellow and blue striped long-sleeved shirt, flee the home. The intruder left a shoe print on the deck, which was matched to shoes Sanchez was wearing.
Lancaster city police Officer Michael Hyson filed charges.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright