On Dec. 19, at 10:54 p.m., officers were called to the 2300 block of Woodberry Drive in Bryans Road for the report of a burglary and assault. Investigation revealed two masked suspects forcibly entered the victim’s home by smashing out the rear sliding glass door with a baseball bat. Once inside, the suspects were confronted by the homeowner, a 77-year-old male. One of the suspects demanded money from the victim but the victim grabbed a phone and threatened to call police. At that point, the suspects struck the victim multiple times with the bat and fled from the house. The victim managed to call police who arrived to find him suffering from multiple injuries. The victim was transported to a hospital where he was admitted.
As officers processed the crime scene, a male approached and began asking about the victim’s injuries. Detectives noted the subject was wearing bloody clothing and made several comments suggesting he had some involvement in the case. After investigating further, detectives learned the male, Arthur Lewis Lancaster, 19, and his friend, Christopher David Manning, 17, both neighbors of the victim, broke into the victim’s house because they thought he was not at home. They had worked for the victim in the past and thought he may have money inside.
