Armed man killed in standoff after breaking into home in Collingdale, Pennsylvania, source says
A man who broke into a home in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday night is dead after a standoff with police disrupted an attempted burglary, a law enforcement source tells CBS News Philadelphia.
SWAT teams were called out to Rhodes Avenue in Collingdale around 9:30 p.m. after someone watching the home on Ring cameras reported seeing two masked and armed men breaking and entering the residence.
It's not clear what the suspects wanted to steal from the home.
With the suspects inside and police outside, a standoff ensued for several hours. During that, police deployed a tear gas canister that sparked a fire.
As the home filled with smoke, one of the suspected burglars left the house and was taken into custody. The second suspect never came out and was later pronounced dead. Sources believe one of the suspects likely died due to smoke inhalation. The alleged burglar who made it out of the home is now facing charges and awaiting arraignment at the Collingdale Police Department. Sources said they believe SWAT acted appropriately, but it's still early in the investigation.
The incident is under investigation by the Delaware County District Attorney's office and Collingdale police, the source said. Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse declined to comment on the investigation Wednesday.
The source said the home was being leased by a Radnor middle school paraprofessional who is in custody on child sexual assault charges. That man — 43-year-old Michael Robinson — was arrested in late February on a warrant out of Texas, and was set to be extradited. Outside of the home, CBS News Philadelphia saw a gun safe and evidence bag that sources said had thousands of dollars of counterfeit U.S. currency.
U.S. Marshals had said Robinson traveled to Tyler, Texas, in August 2024 to meet a minor under 15 years old whom he met online and allegedly sexually assaulted them over the course of a weekend. A family member outside the home told CBS News Philadelphia Robinson is wrongly accused.
Police are looking into if the alleged burglars knew Robinson was in custody and not at the home.
Shawnae Lane, a neighbor, said she came outside Tuesday to see what was happening and police told her to get back inside.
"Just very scary, very scary," she said. "I never witnessed anything like this before."
