Officials say a 22-year-old Telford man is linked to May and November 2025 break-ins that targeted women living alone.
NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele announced charges against John Vernon Gray, 22, accusing him of raping a woman in her 90s and attempting to assault three other women during a string of overnight break-ins in Towamencin Township. Gray was arrested Jan. 10 and remains held without bail.
Authorities said detectives tied together four incidents reported in 2025: two on May 10 and two on Nov. 8. Each happened in the early morning. Victims told police a man entered their bedrooms while they slept, fled when they screamed, or, in one case, carried out a sexual assault. Steele said the pattern, timing and proximity of the homes led investigators to believe the same person was responsible. Towamencin Township Police and county detectives conducted interviews, collected evidence and compared reports before presenting charges this week. The office said the investigation remains active even as the case moves into court.
On May 10, 2025, at about 2:25 a.m., a 79-year-old resident on Dock Drive awoke to find a man climbing in through her bedroom window. She yelled, and the intruder ran. About an hour later, a separate home in the Dock Woods senior living community was breached, and a woman in her 90s reported being sexually assaulted in her bedroom. Months later, on Nov. 8 around 3 a.m., a 72-year-old woman on Dock Drive said a man tried to lift her nightgown before fleeing when she cried out. Around 3:30 a.m., a 46-year-old woman on Crosshill Court said a man touched her as she slept and left when she called for her husband. “These were predatory, late-night entries,” Steele said, adding that the women did not know the assailant.
Gray faces counts of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, attempted rape, sexual assault, indecent assault, burglary and related offenses. Towamencin Township Police Chief Timothy Troxel said officers canvassed for witnesses and video, and worked with county detectives to compare details across scenes. Investigators described consistent methods of entry, including a bedroom window and a sliding glass door, and similar timing between about 2:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. Officials did not specify what forensic tests were used but said the evidence, along with interviews and neighborhood canvassing, supported the arrest. No weapons were mentioned in the public charging summary. Authorities said they have not identified any additional suspects.
The homes are concentrated in the Lansdale-area Dock Woods community and surrounding residential streets, a mix of independent-living residences and single-family homes. Residents said the overnight police presence last spring and fall prompted porch lights to switch on and neighbors to check on one another as officers went house to house. Township leaders noted that patrols were increased during the active investigation. The district attorney’s office said advocates have been assisting the victims and their families and that services were offered as interviews proceeded.
Gray was arraigned Jan. 10 before Magisterial District Judge Todd Stephens, who denied bail. On Jan. 15, a Common Pleas court hearing upheld that decision. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Feb. 2 before Magisterial District Judge Edward Levine. If the case is held for court at that proceeding, it will move to formal arraignment and a pretrial schedule in the Court of Common Pleas. Prosecutors said additional updates will follow as filings are entered and as evidence continues to be processed. Defense counsel had not filed public motions in the case as of Friday morning.
Outside the affected blocks, residents said they were relieved to hear of an arrest. “We saw officers at three in the morning with flashlights last year,” said a Dock Drive homeowner who did not want to be identified by name. “People were awake at their windows.” Troxel thanked residents who shared doorbell recordings and called in tips. Steele said the sequence of overnight entries, and the age range of victims from 46 to over 90, underscored the risk to people who were believed to be alone at home.
Gray is being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility with no bail. The next scheduled court date is the preliminary hearing on Feb. 2 at 11 a.m.
Author note: Last updated January 16, 2026.