Jul 21, 2008 6:24 am US/Eastern
Family Attacks Suspect Following Delco. Murder
UPPER DARBY (CBS 3) ―
A domestic dispute led to a murder and left two cops
injured Saturday Night in Upper Darby, police said.
Police arrived at home on the 700 block of Atlantic Avenue
Saturday night around 11:30 p.m. to find woman stabbed to death.
The victim, identified as 48-year-old Diane Barrow, lived at the home.
Barrow was reportedly involved in an altercation with her
boyfriend, Keith Thomas, earlier in the evening. Thomas also lived at the Atlantic Avenue
home.
Thomas, 44, allegedly stabbed Barrow several times during
the altercation and fled the murder scene.
Barrow was reportedly able to tell her sister that Thomas stabbed her before she died.
An Upper Darby police
officer was still guarding the crime scene at about 4 a.m. Sunday when she spotted
several members of Barrow's family conversing and getting into separate cars.
The officer asked the family members if they knew where
Thomas was, but they refused to say anything to the officer and drove off.
The officer then followed the Barrows in her police
cruiser to the parking lot of a LUKOIL gas station at 69th and Marshall Streets.
Several members of Barrow's family jumped out of their cars and ran to a used car lot on Marshall and Rocklyn Streets and started to attack a
man, who the officer recognized was Keith Thomas.
The officer was injured during her attempt to break up the fight, but she was able to pull Thomas to safety.
"There is no doubt that family friends and members
probably would have killed this guy," said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Chitwood.
Another officer was also
injured during the incident.
Both officers were taken to the hospital and were treated
for their injuries and released.
Thomas was taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries
before being taken into custody.
Thomas was arrested and charged with murder, aggravated assault
and weapons charges. He is being held without bail awaiting a July 25 preliminary hearing.
None of the individuals involved in the attack on Thomas has been charged at
this time.
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