New Jersey

Homeless Man Charged With Attacking NJ Couple, Setting House on Fire

A homeless man is accused of a violent home invasion and arson in Collingswood, New Jersey, and two other home burglaries

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What to Know

  • Authorities say they have arrested a man suspected of breaking into a Collingswood, New Jersey, home last weekend. and attac one resident and tried to tie up another before setting a fire in the house and fleeing. 
  • Bernard Miller, who has no known address, faces numerous counts, including attempted murder, stemming from Sunday's home invasion.
  • Authorities say Miller attacked one resident and tried to tie up another before setting a fire in the house and fleeing.

A man who broke into a South Jersey home last weekend attacked one resident and tried to tie up another before setting a fire in the house and fleeing, authorities said.

Bernard Miller, who has no known address, faces numerous counts stemming from Sunday's home invasion in Collingswood, including attempted murder, robbery and aggravated arson, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. The 36-year-old also faces charges for two home burglaries he committed in the same town on Saturday.

Firefighters responded to the house fire on the 200 block of Crestmont Terrace shortly before 2:30 p.m. Sunday. After putting out the flames, firefighters found a victim suffering from injuries not caused by the fire.

Investigators learned a man broke into the home, attacked a person and tied up a second person while demanding money. He then set the house on fire before leaving.

Police are searching for a man who they say broke into a home in Collingswood, attacked a person inside, tied up a second person inside and then set fire to the house before fleeing the scene. NBC10's Drew Smith has the latest details on the investigation.

"One of the victims, the one who was tied up and bound, was able to make it outside of the home," Colby Gallagher, the Public Information Officer for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, told NBC10. "The other one is the person who suffered injuries that weren't related to that fire."

Catherine Conaghan, a neighbor, told NBC10 she witnessed the home invasion.

"They knocked on the door. I guess they pushed their way in and then they stabbed the fella," Conaghan said. "And I think they said they tied her up but she got out."

One of the victims described the suspect as a thin man with a short beard and dark hair wearing a yellow winter hat and a yellow and black zip-up sweatshirt.

Detectives tracked Miller to a homeless shelter in Camden after viewing surveillance footage that showed a man entering the facility wearing clothing that matched that of the home burglar. They also found items from one of the burglaries in Miller’s backpack, authorities said.

As the investigation progressed, authorities identified Miller as the man responsible for Sunday's burglary and attacks. He remains jailed, and it's not known if he's retained an attorney.

Copyright The Associated Press
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