Cops, Courts & Fire -Bensalem Township
Cell Phone Store Thief Pleads Guilty, Alleged Co-Conspirator Back in Custody
One of the two thieves who broke into the Metro PCS Cell Phone store in Bristol Borough just under a year ago pleaded guilty to one count of receiving stolen property late last month.
John Mathis, 32 of Fairless Hills agreed to the offer made by prosecutors the same day his alleged partner in crime Ashley Hicks, of Philadelphia was arrested on a Bucks County warrant in Philadelphia a little more than a week before her 33rd birthday of August 10. She was released in April of 2022 following a bail reduction hearing and had absconded from authorities since May of this year.
The duo were arrested on October 6th after breaking into the popular cell phone retailer on the 200 block of Bristol Pike. What they weren’t aware of for the one hour of time after the break in was the devices they had stolen had tracking devices installed for this kind of situation.
Police on scene observed the front door to the cell phone store was ajar and forced open. Shortly thereafter police were alerted one of the stolen items from Metro were being tracked by 3SI, which provides action and intelligence to apprehend suspects through robust partnerships with law enforcement agencies in the region, according to court records.
Police were notified by the digital tracking company that the phones were moving south on 1-95. Law enforcement in Bensalem and Philadelphia were given a flash notice from the Bucks County Dispatch of the vehicle description, and registration, according to court records.
Police with guidance from the security firm continued to track the suspects via the stolen merchandise on I-95 and were subsequently notified Philadelphia Police from the 15th District had taken the suspects into custody via a car stop.
Bristol Borough Detective William Davis and officer Dino Lepore met with a trio of Philadelphia Police officers on the 6200 block of Torresdale Avenue, and to identify the suspects and the stolen; cash, tablets and cell phones.
Less than a month later Mathis was released after a bail reduction hearing.
On the same day he agreed to the guilty plea for the cell phone store theft he also agreed to plead guilty to fleeing an officer, reckless driving and related traffic offenses for case filed in February of this year by Middletown Township Police. Mathis as in the cell phone shop theft case.
Additionally Mathis has open cases in Lower Southampton (January 2023) for theft related offenses; an open case in Bristol Township for (9/2022) in which he was formally charged (December of 2022) with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of accidents involving death or injury, multiple DUI counts and a slew of related alleged crimes. Those cases have yet to be fully adjudicated.
Sentencing was deferred by the court to a later date for the cell phone store case.
Hicks has four open Court of Common Pleas cases currently active. She is scheduled to appear on August 29th for all of her open cases which according to court records are theft related criminal activities. Online court records seem to indicate guilty pleas are expected. She was remanded back to Bucks County Prison where she will awaits her next court dates.
Ashley Hicks
Credit: Bucks County Sheriff’s Office
Cops, Courts & Fire -Bensalem Township
Cops: Motorist Driving “Erratically” on Street Rd Arrested for Fleeing, DUI
A early morning Tuesday fire in Bensalem took the life of one woman and firefighters were able to rescue a man, community sources told Lower Bucks Source.
Bensalem fire companies were dispatched for the reports of a dwelling fire in the 2900 of Bellview Drive at around 2:45 a.m with possible entrapment.
Police officers on scene reported two residents were unaccounted for and believed to be inside. Fire crews initiated an aggressive quick search and attack of the fire, where a male was immediately located by the doorway, Bensalem Volunteer Fire Department, officials said.
The woman killed in the fire was located shortly thereafter, fire officials said.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the home, officials said.
An on scene witness said they saw a man was taken to the hospital by Bensalem EMS. His condition is unknown as of publication time.
The identity of the woman killed in the blaze has not been released
The fire caused the closure of Bellview Dr, from Morrow Drive to the entrance of Faust Elementary for several hours.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation of the fire marshal’s office.
“The thoughts and prayers of our entire department go out to the family and friends of those affected by this tragedy. It’s a sad day for our Nottingham Village families” said Bensalem Volunteer Fire Dept officials.
Cops
Emergency Crews Prepare for Incoming Blizzard as Lower Bucks Municipalities Declare Storm Plans
Lower Bucks municipalities have declared disaster/snow emergencies in advance of the expected snow storm that the National Weather Service says will dump anywhere between 14 to 18 inches on the area.
A winter storm warning is still in effect from Sunday, Feb 22 to Monday, Feb 23.
Each municipality has its own link. For more information and updates, please click on their associated link.
Bensalem Township – Disaster Emergency declared immediately for the pending snow storm. Click here to see more details.
Bristol Borough – Snow information/requirements have been posted on their website. Click here to see the details.
Bristol Township – Snow Emergency effective 12 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 through 12 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Click here to see more details.
Falls Township – Snow Emergency starts Sunday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. and expires on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6 a.m. Click here for details.
Langhorne Borough – Snow Emergency starts Sunday, Feb. 22 at noon until Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. No parking. Click here for details.
Lower Makefield Township – Snow information has been posted on Meta. Click here to see the details.
Middletown Township – Snow Emergency is in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 12 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. . Click here to see details.
Morrisville Borough – Snow Emergency is in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. Click here to see the details.
Newtown Township – A Snow Emergency is in effect from 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 until 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. Click here to see the details.
Penndel Borough – Snow Emergency has been declared from 12 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, 2026, through 12 p.m. on Monday, February 23, 2026. Click here for more details and click here for more on the ordinance.
Tullytown Borough – Snow Emergency proclamation in effect from Sunday Feb. 22 – 6 p.m. to Monday Feb. 23 – 6 p.m. Click here to see more details.
Warminster Township – Disaster Emergency has been declared for the incoming snow storm, effective Sunday Feb. 22, 2026 at 12 p.m. through Tuesday, Feb. 24,2026 at 12 p.m.. Click here to see the details and click here to see the declaration from Township Manager Tom Scott.
Yardley Borough – Snow Emergency proclamation in effect from Sunday Feb. 22 – 4 p.m. to Monday Feb. 23 – 4 p.m. . Click here to see the details. and click here to see declaration/other information from Mayor Caroline Thompson.
The primary concern is safety. Take care of yourselves and check on neighbors and those who may be vulnerable.
Please stay safe, take all necessary precautions, and keep your devices charged.
Click here for updates from the National Weather Service
Click here for PECO’s outage map.
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