Crime & Safety

St. Gabe's Teen Found in Custody in Abington

The St. Gabriel's Hall teen that was reported missing was found in custody by Abington Police, and may have burglarized an Audubon industrial office.

According to Lower Providence Police, the teen who was reported missing from St. Gabriel’s Hall in Audubon last weekend, was found in custody by Abington Police for Retail Theft.

The investigation for the missing teen, previously reported as a 15-year-old black male, started with Lower Providence Police responding to a reported burglary on Nov. 10 at Houghton International, located at 945 Madison Ave. in Audubon. 

Houghton International is an international industrial fluid business. Its Audubon facility is approximately three miles away from St. Gabriel’s Hall.

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Houghton employees told police that the burglary was noticed at approximately 7:29 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, and was last seen secure on Friday Nov. 9 at 6 p.m.

Employees discovered that a cigarette disposal container, normally located outside the facility by the cafeteria door, had broken the cafeteria window.

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Glass covered the floor below the window, and extended across the floor to a countertop. Blood was found on the refrigerator and freezer doors, as well as on the floor.

Various drawers had been opened, and food containers were left out on the countertop and tables of the cafeteria, giving police the impression that food was consumed.

The building facility’s manager showed police captured footage from exterior motion-activated cameras. The footage showed on Nov. 9 at approximately 7:36 p.m., a black male, wearing a white t-shirt and light-colored pants, was seen walking onto the property.

As previously reported on Patch, the St. Gabriel’s teen was wearing grey pants, a white shirt, and flip flops when he left the facility.

The footage further showed that the male walked to the cafeteria patio, and proceeded to pick up a cigarette disposal container and strike the window twice.

The male then disappeared out of camera range.

According to the police report, the male in the footage was consistent with the missing Saint Gabriel’s Hall juvenile.

During the investigation, Lower Providence Police found that West Norriton Township Police responded to a suspicious person call at around 8 a.m., Nov. 10. The witness told West Norriton Police that  she encountered a young, black male, wearing no shoes in the vicinity of S. Trooper Road and Norris Hall Lane, a short distance from Houghton International.

The witness, when interviewed by, Lower Providence Police, said the male had contacted her and asked how to get to Philadelphia. She said she observed that in addition to not having shoes, the male also seemed to have a laceration, and saw blood on his pants. She also said that the male was wearing a sweater, believed to be a woman’s sweater.

The witness positively identified the male as the missing St. Gabriel’s teen when showed a photograph of him.

Lower Providence Police detective William Hopkins, based on the acquired evidence and information, prepared a Written Allegation for the arrest of the juvenile suspect on charges of

  • Burglary
  • Criminal Trespass,
  • Possessing Instruments of Crime
  • Theft
  • Receiving Stolen Property
  • Criminal Mischief
  • Escape

Lower Providence Police had also contacted the teen’s father, but was unable to contact his mother about the developments.

On Nov. 11, at approximately 12:49 p.m. Lower Providence Police received a call from St. Gabriel’s Hall saying that the teen was in custody at Abington Police Department.

Lower Providence Police confirmed the information, and found that the teen was being held for summary retail theft, and later picked the teen up from Abington for the burglary charges.

He was brought to Montgomery County Correctional Facility, where the teen was processed at approximately 3:28 p.m.

The teen, after receiving initial medical treatment, was then brought to Einstein Medical Center in East Norriton for the injuries sustained while at Houghton International. The teen did not require stitches or surgery, and his injury was cleaned and bandaged.

A hearing was held on Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. in Montgomery County Juvenile Court before Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy for the crimes. A status hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 19.


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