2 men headed to prison for burglaries

NORRISTOWN >> Two Philadelphia men are headed to prison following a string of burglaries in Lower Merion Township, two courts ruled this week. Montgomery County Court Judge Gail A. Weilheimer sentenced Malik Meteen Coyett, 27, to 5-10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a first degree felony burglary charge Tuesday. Meanwhile, Common Pleas Court Judge Steven T. O’Neill sentenced Coyett’s accomplice, Ronald Stewart, 26, to 2½ to five years in the State Correctional Institution at Graterford Wednesday for also pleading guilty to a first degree felony burglary charge. Stewart will be credited for the roughly 11 months of jail time already served.

Lower Merion Township Police responded to the 100 block of Orchard Way, Rosemont, following a report of an attempted home invasion at approximately 3:37 a.m. June 26, 2016. The homeowner said she was on the first floor when she heard someone trying to open her door and walking around her porch area. The door was locked but she saw a small framed man wearing a light colored shirt or jacket trying to get in. The homeowner said she wasn’t expecting anyone and didn’t know the man, according to a criminal complaint.

Once on the scene, officers saw a vehicle parked in the driveway had its interior lights on. The officers heard rustling in the bushes and a black man wearing black pants and a hooded sweatshirt jumped out of the hedgerow and began running south on Orchard Way. Numerous officers then set up a perimeter and began looking for the two men. While checking the area, one officer found a maroon colored 2008 Chevrolet Impala parked on Orchard Way in the area registered to Coyett. The vehicle was still warm and the officer could see through the windows of the vehicle that there was a point-and-shoot camera on the front driver’s side floorboard. He was also able to see an iPad case behind the driver’s seat, the complaint states. Investigators then determined there had been a burglary along the 1400 block of Orchard Way and someone gained access through a side door. The following items were determined to have been taken: a purse containing a brown wallet with credit cards and $150 cash, a point-and-shoot camera and a MacBook Air computer, according to the complaint. At approximately 5:24 a.m., Coyett and Stewart were stopped at 1341 W. Montgomery Ave. Bryn Mawr. Both were drenched in sweat and provided very vague answers as to what they were doing in the area. Coyett had a set of keys in his possession, which had a Chevrolet key on the ring, the complaint states.

Police received additional reports of attempted burglaries along the 100 block of Orchard Way (the original caller), the 1400 block of County Line Road (an opened screen door) and another along the 100 block of Orchard Way (opened screen door), the complaint states.