Bensalem Police Make Arrest In Pepper Spray Robbery
On Saturday, September 14, 2024, at approximately 11:11 p.m., Bensalem Police responded to a robbery report at the Comfort Inn, located at 2779 Lincoln Highway. According to authorities, a female victim was assaulted in the hotel’s parking lot by a male suspect who attempted to steal her purse.
The victim described the suspect as a lighter-skinned male, around 6 feet tall, wearing a hooded sweatshirt. During the robbery, the suspect pepper-sprayed the victim in the face while attempting to take her purse. He successfully fled the scene with the stolen purse, which contained personal identification, credit cards, and an unknown amount of cash.
The suspect was seen running towards a white sedan before leaving the scene. Emergency medical services (EMS) were called to assist the victim, who was transported to a local hospital for treatment related to the pepper spray exposure.
Bensalem Police immediately reviewed hotel surveillance footage, which showed the suspect entering the driver’s seat of a white Chrysler 300. The footage also showed a distinctive white hard hat in the rear of the vehicle. Nearby Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) captured the vehicle’s license plate as PA registration LXS6760, linking the car to the defendant, Horace Clay.
The Chrysler 300 was flagged as a felony vehicle in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. A short time later, Yeadon Borough Police Department in Delaware County located and stopped the vehicle.
The driver, identified as 44-year-old Horace Clay from Philadelphia, was taken into custody.
During questioning, Clay admitted to the robbery and to using pepper spray on the victim. Officers also recovered a canister of pepper spray from his vehicle. Clay was charged with robbery, simple assault, and theft.
He was arraigned before District Justice Marriot, with bail set at 10% of $25,000. Clay has been remanded to Bucks County Prison.
The Bensalem Police Department thanked the Yeadon Borough Police Department for their swift assistance in apprehending the suspect.
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