Suspect Arraigned in Horsham Home Invasion

A man suspected of robbing a Horsham home Sunday morning was arraigned this morning and has been sent to Montgomery County Prison in lieu of $50,000 cash bail.

Ayodele Gabriel Oke, 21, who is accused of robbing – at gunpoint - the home of a 22-year-old former high school classmate, received a kiss on the cheek from his mother prior to having the charges read to him Tuesday in the courtroom of .

Oke, of 2529 Horsham Road in Hatboro, who was arrested at an Upper Moreland home at 7:59 p.m. Monday, faces various charges, including robbery and flight after the commission of a theft, which comes with a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars; as well as possessing instruments of crime; aggravated assault; simple assault; recklessly endangering another person; burglary; criminal trespass; unlawful restraint; and making terroristic threats.

Horsham Police detective Bob Waeltz, who led the Horsham part of the investigation, urged Nesbitt to set cash bail that “should be high” based on the “severe” charges that Oke faces. Waeltz said the suspect is a flight risk and a threat to the community.

Oke disagreed. He said he has plenty of “mentors” who could vouch for him and said he just finished school and had been studying real estate. Oke said he has owned his own business for the last three years.

But, on Sunday at about 10:40 a.m., Oke is alleged to have entered the unlocked back door of a home in the 100 block of Chestnut Lane in Horsham, put a gun to the back of a victim’s head and demand money. According to the criminal complaint, the suspect called the victim by his first name and said, “give me the money.”

When the victim said he didn’t have any money, Oke allegedly choked him.

Oke then allegedly said, “I’m about to start lettin off shots,” according to the criminal complaint. “At this point the subject walked over to the window closed the curtain and said ‘I shouldn’t be here this long.’ He insisted that he was going to shoot the victim and then closed the curtains.”

The victim said he had money downstairs. As the victim and Oke walked down the steps, the victim opened the front door and ran to his neighbor’s house, according to the complaint. The suspect ran to a gold car on Chestnut Lane.

The suspect, who was wearing white latex gloves, a bandana over his face and a gray hoodie at the time of the robbery, “pulled down his mask” during the altercation with the victim, according to the complaint.

At one point, the victim reportedly said, “Ayo why are you doing this?”

Waeltz said the victim, who has not been named, was able to positively identify Oke.

“They went to high school together,” Waeltz said, adding that he does not know what prompted the robbery. “I don’t have a motive at this point.”

Waeltz said money was stolen during the home invasion.

Police had several residences for Oke, the last of which was on East Street Road in Warminster. On Monday, police issued a . Waeltz said Upper Moreland police lucked out in nabbing Oke Monday night.

“Upper Moreland, on a whim checked one of the addresses and found his car there last night,” Waeltz said. “It just happened to be the right place at the right time.”

Oke came outside of the residence and was arrested, Waeltz said.

A preliminary hearing has been set for April 13 at 11:15 a.m. in Judge Nesbitt’s court.