Arrests.
A K9 search found the firearm near a Ridge Pike business on March 20, police said
A Lower Providence man is accused of brandishing a MAC-10-style 9mm firearm and threatening to kill another man with it following an early morning argument last week in the township.
Authorities allege Frank Louis Napolitano III, 39, of the 5000 block of Defford Place, tossed the gun in a Dumpster, before retrieving it and throwing it into the woods, where a police K-9 later found the weapon.
Napolitano is charged with felony counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, aggravated assault, carrying a firearm without a license, and misdemeanor charges of terroristic threats, attempted simple assault by menace, recklessly endangering another person, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to court documents.
On March 20 at 1:28 a.m., police responded to the 3200 block of Ridge Pike for a report of an armed subject who pointed a gun at the 911 caller, according to the affidavit. While en route to the scene, Montgomery County dispatch told police the man was wearing a green jacket and blue pants and went by “Frank,” police said.
Upon arrival, police found the suspect, alleged to be Napolitano, in front of a business along the block. Napolitano was detained, cuffed behind his back and placed in a patrol car, police said.
Upon further investigation, the victim told police he and Napolitano argued on a rear deck, which was in view of a Ring camera, police said. The victim said that after the argument, Napolitano pulled out a MAC-10-style 9mm gun and racked the charging handle and pointed it at him, police allege.
THe victim said Napolitano then ran behind the Ridge Pike business with the gun and threw it in a Dumpster, police allege in the complaint. Napolitano then allegedly climbed into the Dumpster to retrieve the gun, and then threw it into a wooded area on the property.
While reviewing the Ring camera footage, police allegedly saw Napolitano and the victim arguing and the defendant moved his arms “in a manner that is congruent with the movement an individual would make to remove a concealed object from their person,” police said in the affidavit.
Police said Napolitano was holding an unknown object on camera and then he said, “I’ll blow your f------ head off” after racking the charging handle of the firearm.
At 2:23 a.m., a Limerick Police officer and K9 arrived on scene for a search, police said. At 2:34 a.m., K9 Nischa located a camouflage-painted MAC-10-style firearm with an extended 9mm magazine in the woods, about 50 yards from the Ridge Pike business, police said.
At 3 a.m., Napolitano was taken into custody and removed from the car for a search, police said. When they removed Napolitano from the car, his handcuffs were found in front of him, according to the complaint.
Inside the car where he was sitting, police allegedly found a rolled-up dollar bill and a water bottle cap that had a white powdery residue in it, suspected to be a controlled substance.
Napolitano remains at Montgomery County jail on $75,077 cash bail, which includes a parole/probation detainer, according to court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 22 before Magisterial District Judge Cathleen Kelly Rebar.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
