Man shot and arrested after following woman home from casino, breaking in and attacking her

A man was shot and later arrested after following a woman home from a casino and attempting to rob her, police said Tuesday.

Abington police identified the man allegedly involved in the break-in as Khabir Shepard. Authorities charged Shepard with robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and illegal possession of a firearm.

According to police, authorities responded to a report that a man had been shot following a burglary around 1 a.m. Monday and were called to a home in the 1800 block of Horace Avenue in Abington.

When they arrived at the home, investigators encountered a woman who told them she had just returned home from the casino when an unknown man forced his way into her apartment and pointed a gun at her. The man, identified by police as Shephard, allegedly pushed the woman to the ground and grabbed her purse from the dining room table.

According to police, the woman screamed for help, waking her son, who was in the back bedroom. According to police, the woman's son grabbed his legally purchased gun and ran outside to see what was causing the commotion. When the son saw that Shepard had a firearm, he fired two shots at him to protect his mother's safety, according to police.

The bullets hit Shepard in the back and arm, but police said he ran out of the house before collapsing on the front lawn.

Police then arrived at the home on Horace Street and arrested Shepard. Authorities said a handgun believed to belong to Shepard was also found on the front lawn of the home.

After his arrest, authorities took Shepard to the hospital for his gunshot wounds. Shepard was charged and transported to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, where he is being held on $250,000 bail.

“We know the suspect was watching her, she was the target,” said Abington Township Police Chief Patrick Molloy. “This was not a random crime. They knew there was cash in the purse.”

Police warn people to be careful of their surroundings, especially people carrying cash.

“I would say if you're in a casino and you win money, take some precautions. … There are bad guys out there who go to great lengths,” Molloy said.

The police are still investigating whether other people were involved.