Court Opinion

ID: 9746838
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 14:40:22.045996+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:17.367637
License: Public Domain

*302CIRILLO, Judge,
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent. It is clear from the officer’s testimony that the three men were facing the property with their backs turned towards him. It is also important to observe that they were actually standing on the steps of the property and were not merely near the door which had been jimmyed and smashed. When the officer approached, the defendant fled the scene of the crime. It is well settled that flight and/or concealment may be considered evidence of guilt in connection with other proof: Commonwealth v. Cerzullo, 175 Pa.Super. 330, 337, 104 A.2d 179, 186 (1954); Commonwealth v. DelGiorno, 303 Pa. 509, 518, 154 A. 786, 795 (1931); Commonwealth v. Whack, 482 Pa. 137, 393 A.2d 417 (1978). Here, we have flight coupled with the fact that the defendant was actually on the steps of the property, facing the door which had been jimmied. The case cited by the majority is Commonwealth v. Keller, 249 Pa.Super. 384, 378 A.2d 347 (1977), which is clearly distinguishable from the present case; since in that case, the defendant was not placed near the coin machines which had been rifled.
I would affirm the Court below.