Police: Man stole library donation jar, assaulted senior citizen in Darby

DARBY, Pa. (WPVI) -- The search continues for a homeless man accused of carrying out two despicable crimes in less than a minute.

Police in Delaware County say 40-year-old Terrell Carter not only stole a donation jar, he attacked an elderly woman while trying to flee the scene.

Darby Borough police say he swiped the jar from the front desk and then fled down the steps, then assaulted the senior citizen who was arriving for work around 10 a.m. Wednesday.

"He's coming out with a five-pound jug that has money in it, it's been up there several months asking for donations, it's got a couple of hundred bucks in it. He sees her, he grabs her, pushes her, then drags her completely down the steps," said Chief Bob Smythe.

"I heard her screaming. I was in the house, she was on that top step right there. She was just screaming, 'my back,'" said neighbor Tindra Wilson.

The victim suffered a broken back. Her condition is not considered to be life-threatening.

Carter, who is homeless, has been known to frequent the neighborhood and hang out inside the library, both authorities and neighbors say.

Police have much of the incident on surveillance video but have chosen not to release it at this point.

They say Carter has an extensive arrest record in Delaware County for terroristic threats, theft, forgery, bad checks, identity theft, and drug possession.

------

Send a News Tip to Action News

Learn More About 6abc Apps