STATE POLICE INVESTIGATE HOME INVASION IN CECIL COUNTY & MAKE ARREST

(North East, MD) – Maryland State Police make an arrest and continue the investigation into a home invasion that left one man critically injured yesterday evening.

One of the accused is a juvenile and is not being identified at this time. After consultation with a Cecil County State’s Attorney, he was released into the custody of his mother.

The second accused is identified as Amanda Joyce Coffin, 19, of the unit block of Brookside Drive in Perryville, Maryland. Coffin is being detained in Delaware as a fugitive while awaiting extradition to Maryland. Coffin is being charged with attempted first degree murder, attempted second degree murder, burglary, first degree assault, reckless endangerment and handgun violations.

The victims are identified as Larry Crowder, 59, and Judy Heck, 60, of the unit block of West Cecil Avenue in North East, Maryland. Crowder is being treated at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma where he is listed in serious, but stable condition. Heck did not sustain significant injuries during the altercation.

The preliminary investigation indicates that Coffin and her juvenile accomplice burst through the front door of the victims’ apartment at around 7:00 p.m. yesterday evening. Police believe Coffin was wearing a mask and armed with a handgun. Officers from the North East Police Department responded initially and then later requested the assistance of the Maryland State Police for the criminal investigation.

At 7:30 p.m., criminal investigators from the North East Barrack responded to the apartment where Crowder and Heck reside. Investigators received information that revealed Crowder had emerged from the bedroom with a knife after hearing the commotion at the front door. Fearing for their lives, Crowder became engaged in a confrontation with the two teenagers in the hallway when shots were fired from Coffin’s handgun. Crowder suffered gunshot wounds to his chest and to his leg. It is believed that the two suspects may have sustained minor lacerations.

During the altercation, Coffin’s mask and some clothing were removed, enabling Crowder and Heck to obtain a physical description of both intruders. Both Coffin and her accomplice fled the scene on foot.

Based on the evidence gathered at the scene, police believed the suspects may have been injured during the altercation. Investigators immediately began checking nearby hospitals and found two individuals, matching the descriptions of Coffin and the juvenile, had been admitted for non life-threatening injuries at Christiana Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware. Investigators responded to the hospital and positively identified the suspects. Both suspects were treated and released from the hospital, and detained by Delaware State Police.

Crime scene technicians from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division responded and processed the scene at the apartment. Members of the North East Barracks Criminal Investigation Section responded to lead the criminal investigation.

This investigation is ongoing…