Man uses sword to fend off intruder, cops say
A Reading man used a samurai sword to fend off an intruder who punched him in the face, forced his way into his apartment and chased him to his bedroom, city police said Monday.
The 26-year-old victim struck the intruder in the face with the katana sword while the blade was still in its wooden scabbard, allowing him enough time to escape from the apartment in the 600 block of North 10th Street and get help from a neighbor, investigators said.
The neighbor answered the victim’s frantic knocks
Jan. 2. The neighbor helped him detain the suspect until police arrived and took him into custody.
Ryan L. Rivers, 30, of the 400 block of West Oley Street was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail following arraignment Jan. 2 before District Judge Stuart D. Kennedy in Reading Central Court.
Rivers was charged with causing bodily injury in the commission of a burglary, criminal trespassing and simple assault.
According to the criminal complaint:
The victim was alerted about 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 2 to noises, including a barking dog, in the back of his house. He went outside and found Rivers, whom he didn’t know, in his backyard.
Rivers approached him and punched him in the face, sending the victim stumbling backward into the apartment. Rivers followed him inside and chased the victim while trying to grab him and yelling religious statements.
The victim retreated to his bedroom and picked up the long-handled sword, swinging it at Rivers and hitting him in the face with the wooden covering.
The victim ran from the apartment and went upstairs to the second-floor apartment, frantically banging on the door. His neighbor came down the stairs with the victim, and they detained Rivers until police arrived.
Rivers continued to make religious utterances such as “Hallelujah!” and “Thank you God!” as officers struggled to handcuff him.
Neither the victim nor anyone else involved suffered serious injuries.