Son of homeless advocate organisation charged with killing man living on street
The 15-year-old son of the leader of a homeless organisation was arrested and charged as an adult over the killing of a homeless man.
The teen shot the man at point-blank range, and said he did it because the man 'sexually assaulted' his girlfriend over the summer. Thomas James Niarhos, of Stowe, shot Jeremiah Waylon Hawkins, 39, in the face on Wednesday.
Even as police took him away, he yelled, “He’s a rapist, don’t feel sorry for him,” according to court documents obtained by The Montgomery Daily Voice.
Niarhos said Hawkins raped his girlfriend behind a dumpster, so the boy sought him out, finally finding him yards from a police station.
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The son of a homelessness activist has been charged as an adult for the murder of a homeless man (Samantha Niarhos/Facebook)The teen returned the next day with his father’s .40 caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic firearm, which he had taken out of a locked safe, and got into a physical altercation with Hawkins, according to surveillance footage and a probable cause affidavit.
During the altercation, Niarhos approached Hawkins and the two scuffled, with the homeless man attempting to knock the gun from the teenager's hand with a bicycle tire.
Eventually, Niarhos fired a shot, causing Hawkins to fall to the ground. Then the teenager approached closer, shooting Hawkins in the face.
Pennsylvania teen charged with murder as an adult says he did it because the man sexually assaulted his girlfriend (ABC 6)When cops arrived, they found a group of bystanders restraining the teen, who yelled out “He’s a rapist, don’t feel sorry for him,” and “He raped a 15-year-old girl, don’t help him,” as he was brought into custody.
The girlfriend is now 16, and her mother told Pottstown Police back in July that "something had happened" to her daughter but "she wouldn't say what." The family never pressed any formal charges.
The gun belongs to the teen's father, the Executive Director of Pottstown Beacon of Hope, an organization that "provides assistance to locals experiencing homelessness." Police took the gun from the scene as a part of their investigation.
Officials said 15-year-old Thomas James Niarhos of Stowe was held by a witness and immediately taken into custody by police (NBC Philadelphia)According to Tom Niarhos, the dad, the teenage boy left a note in his room that suggested he planned to go on the run and live on the streets after murdering Hawkins.
After the incident, Tom Niarhos stated: "The only comment I have is that it was tragedy and my prayers go out to [Hawkins'] family." The adult Niarhos has worked for the homeless organization for several years, after experiencing homelessness himself.
Niarhos has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, possessing a firearm by a minor, possessing an instrument of crime and other charges, according to court documents. He is being held without bail at the Montgomery County Youth Center and is due back in court on Nov. 30.
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