COLUMBUS, OHIO — Daryl Lee Solomon befriended two different people and, in one night, helped orchestrate the armed robbery of both of their households. The first incident, reported through the Ledger-Enquirer, happened at 12:40 am. Solomon arrived on the stoop of a friend’s house and knocked on the door. When the friend answered the door, an unnamed masked accomplice rushed past Solomon and held the man and the other occupants at gunpoint. While the masked man attempted to state that Solomon was in no way, shape, or form connected with the robbery, court documents have done a good job of showing a menacing connection between this event and another happening later in the evening.
In the first ambush, the masked armed accomplice demanded money and goods. The homeowner coughed up $200 in cash before being able to escape into a bathroom. The armed robber attempted to pry open the door, but the resident was able to call police and keep the door locked.
Solomon escaped with the robber and not six minutes later, according to court documents, arrived on the stoop of another “friend’s” house. That friend fell prey much the same as the first one — but clearly pointed out there was no way that Solomon was unaware of the armed bandit hanging right outside.
“To be noted, his front yard is only a few feet wide,” Columbus Police Officer Hollenback told the court. “It would be have been impossible for Mr. Solomon not to have seen any other person standing outside of his (friend’s) house.”
Thankfully, the second resident was able to detect the trap before it was fully sprung and slammed the door shut. He reportedly heard a lone gunshot erupt outside his home while he was calling police. That resident witnessed Solomon take off on a bicycle and the armed robber escape on foot.
Solomon was picked up a short while later by Columbus police where he plead not guilty to home invasion charges. He is being held without bail until the court date. The masked armed robber is still on the loose and his identity is still unknown.
What makes this sort of home invasion all the more insidious is a person’s likely reaction to seeing a friend on the doorstep. Most people, when they see a friend wants to come over, will instinctively open the door and let them in. Who wouldn’t? Unfortunately, in this case, both residents of separate houses found out the hard way that people aren’t always what they seem. Insofar as Solomon is concerned, it’s idiotic to think that he could pull this sort of operation off without being identified and clearly placed with both crimes.