RIDLEY TOWNSHIP, P.A. (KYW Newsradio) — A man caught by police in a Wawa parking lot in Ridley Township performing a lewd act on himself could be connected to an earlier series of random shootings in Delaware County.
Ridley Township Police Lieutenant John Hamill said an officer encountered 44-year-old Ryan Campbell around 4 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2 in his car performing a lewd act on himself. He was arrested, but that's not all the officer found.
"The officer also noticed a silver handgun in the passenger's seat," said Hamill.
That wouldn't be an issue except before he was Ryan Campbell, the suspect was born Vincent Melchiorre. He changed his name after a prior felony conviction.
"He's a convicted felon and convicted felons cannot own a firearm," said Hamill.
The arresting officer had also remembered hearing reports on the morning of Campbell's arrest of a car and house being shot in nearby Tinicum Township. Police in Tinicum got a search warrant for Campbell's car and found spent shell casings on the floor by the passenger seat.
"We sent the gun out to the Pennsylvania state police crime lab," said Hamill. "We're doing a DNA swab on it. They're going to do ballistic testing."
He also said he doesn't think Campbell's alleged shooting spree stopped there. Police in Springfield are also investigating an incident at Springfield Mall where two cars were shot at.
"We kind of think this guy might be involved in that also," said Hamill.
Campbell is currently charged with open lewdness and firearm possession, and is in jail on 10% of a million dollar bail.
