COLUMBIA, Pa. — A Lancaster County man was sentenced to a prison term of 5 ½ to 12 years after pleading guilty to breaking into a Columbia apartment late last year, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office said Thursday.
John Roy Gerfin, 54, pleaded guilty to one felony charge of burglary and was sentenced at a hearing last week, prosecutors said.
He admitted to illegally entering an apartment on the 200 block of North Second Street on the morning of December 16, 2021, while a woman and her 11-year-old daughter were inside.
The victim heard someone “rummaging around” on the first floor and confronted Gerfin, who was in the victim’s kitchen, according to prosecutors.
After being confronted, Gerfin fled through a back door with two bottles of vodka, prosecutors said.
A sports bra and a pair of jeans were also reported missing, according to prosecutors.
Police later found Gerfin hiding under a pile of leaves below a large tree and took him into custody. Both victims positively identified him as the man who broke in.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman prosecuted the case and arranged the plea deal.
Columbia Borough Police Officer Brent Smith filed charges.
