Mansentenced toprison inhome invasion

A 22-year-old man who “terrorized” aHarrisonTwp. family during an armed home invasion last yearwas sentencedWednesday to up to 15 years in prison.

Darrius Jamal Pattson kicked open the door of a Monroe Avenue home the night of Nov. 26, 2019, and held the family of four, including their children ages 5 and 2, at gunpoint, and shot the family’s 6-monthold puppy, Montgomery County ProsecutorMatHeck Jr. stated in a release.

Pattson and two co-defendants, one a teenager, ransacked the home and stole firearms, cash and other items.

Then, Pattson forced the children’s mother into the family car and forced her to drive to an ATM and withdrawmoney. Pattson left the womanlying facedownin an alley and took the vehicle, which was found wrecked the next night, Heck stated.

“The defendant terrorized this familybyholdingthemat gunpoint, including holding a firearm pointed at a 2-yearold child, shooting the family dog, and abducting the wife/mother,” Heck said. “Furthermore, the defendant had been released from prison for just a couple of months before committing this home invasion. He certainly deserves this lengthy prison sentence.”

Officers apprehended Pattson on Dec. 5, 2019, following a brief foot chase when he crashed a different stolen car, according to the release.

PattsonwasconvictedNov. 25 of two counts of aggravated robbery, one count of aggravated burglary, one count of kidnapping, two counts of having weapons while under disability for a prior offense of violence, one count of grand theft of a motor vehicle, one count of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, one count of cruelty to companion animals, one count of receiving stolen property and two counts of aggravated menacing.

HewassentencedWednesday inMontgomery County Common Pleas Court to a range of 12 to 15 years in prison.

The case against his co-defendant Jarrelle Anderson is pending and will be set for trial at a later date.