YEADON PA April 29 2019  — Danlette Tomah laid bare her emotions as she embraced borough police Chief Anthony Paparo during his press conference Friday afternoon announcing an arrest in the April 16 hit-and-run crash that resulted in the death of her husband of 30 years.

“My husband would be satisfied,” the widow said, referring to justice being served with myriad charges lodged against the accused striking driver, 22-year-old Khar Dofene Abdullah Jr., of the 6200 block of Osage Avenue in Philadelphia.

As for a second man, 24-year-old Tre Moore of Philadelphia, whom Paparo identified as “a person of interest” in the ongoing investigation but who is still at-large, the widow offered these words: “I want him to turn himself in.”

Calling the ongoing investigation “still very fluid,” Paparo said Friday that the lead investigators, Detectives Ferdie Ingram and Joseph “Jay” Houghton have been exhaustive in their efforts in the last 10 days.

While Abdullah surrendered with an attorney Thursday and was under arrest at that time, Paparo said investigators opted to wait until Friday to formalize the charges.

“He was high as a kite … He was so wasted it was not prudent to interrogate him,” Paparo said, noting that Abdullah was falling asleep as a detective attempted to read him his Miranda rights.

Paparo spoke to Moore Thursday night and was assured by Moore at that time that he would turn himself in Friday morning. Moore was a no-show, the chief said.

No charges have been filed against Moore.

“We want to talk to him,” Paparo said Friday.

Both Abdullah and Moore, described by police as friends, have denied any wrongdoing, Paparo said.

Friday night, Abdullah was awaiting preliminary arraignment on felony charges including homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle, accidents involving death or personal injury, accidents involving death or personal injury while not licensed, involuntary manslaughter, firearms not to be carried without a license and person not to possess or use firearms, and related misdemeanor and summary offenses.

Henry Tomah, 62, of Yeadon, was on his way to work on the afternoon of April 16 when his vehicle was broadsided at the intersection of Church Lane and Darnell Avenue in the borough. It was shortly after 3 p.m. when police were dispatched to the scene.

An investigation determined that two white vehicles, a 2009 Nissan Altima allegedly operated by Abdullah, and an Infiniti allegedly operated by Moore, were stopped at the traffic light at Baily Road and Church Lane. When the drivers saw a police officer exiting the Quality Gas Station, for some unknown reason they both sped off when the light turned green.

Paparo noted the officer was in full uniform and in a marked vehicle.

The Nissan struck the driver’s door of Tomah’s white Kia, the force of which sent the victim’s vehicle 15-20 feet into a telephone pole, trapping Tomah inside his vehicle.

“Prior to impact, the 2009 Nissan left approximately 67.3 feet of skid marks,” Paparo said last week. Authorities estimate the Nissan was traveling in excess of 50 miles per hour – in an area and at a time where there are many pedestrians including school children.

“From Yeadon, Abdullah called his ex-girlfriend,” Paparo said.

In initially tracking the Nissan tag, police determined it was in temporary status. The following day, they learned it had been reported stolen in Philadelphia by a female owner, about 24 minutes after the crash occurred. The woman initially told police that her brother, whom she falsely identified as Terry Lanier, had control of her vehicle. A person by that name does not exist, police said Friday.

The woman has since admitted to police that she was lying about Abdullah’s identity, Paparo said Friday.

“The female admitted he called and told her, ‘I was in an accident. Report it stolen,'” Paparo said. He estimated the woman received that call between 3:10 and 3:15 p.m. on April 16.

Paparo said Abdullah arrived at the woman’s residence a short time later and gave the keys to the car to her. The woman could face charges in Philadelphia for filing a false report.

The Infiniti, which was recovered April 17 at an auto body garage in Philadelphia located about five blocks from the crash scene, appeared as if it was ready to be painted, according to police.

The owner of the Infiniti, another Philadelphia woman, told police her vehicle was being operated by a man she identified only as Jay, police said.

As part of the investigation, authorities sought out agencies using tag readers and ran the tag from the Nissan. The image of that tag was recorded in Philadelphia near the body shop where the Infiniti was discovered.

According to authorities, a .40-caliber Glock firearm was recovered from the front driver’s seat floor of the striking Nissan. The firearm was loaded with a magazine holding 15 live .40-caliber rounds. Heroin was also recovered from inside the Nissan, authorities said.

Police have a witness who identified Abdullah as the person he saw leave the driver’s seat of the Nissan and enter the passenger seat of the Infiniti, after the crash.

A security guard at the King of Prussia Mall, Henry Tomah was a devoted husband and loving father.

His widow wondered Friday if the men allegedly involved in his death have any heart, given that they knew what they were doing.

Only “somebody who don’t have God in them,” the very opposite of how her husband lived, could do something like this, Danlette Tomah suggested.

The sounds of crying, she said, now fill her once joyful home.

“My husband is gone. He will not come back again. I am alone now … It is not easy on me … I can’t work. I can’t drive … I am shaking,” the widow said. “Prayers are holding me up.”

Additional charges against Abdullah include reckless driving, failure to stop and give information or render aid, accident involving damage to unattended property or vehicle, driving without a license, driving at safe speed, careless driving involving unintentional death, failure to report accident to police, all summary offenses.

Also, accident involving damage to an attended vehicle or property, possession of a controlled substance, recklessly endangering another person, conspiracy to tamper with or fabricate physical evidence and criminal solicitation to file a false report or falsely incriminate another, all misdemeanor offenses.

Anyone with information regarding Moore’s whereabouts is asked to call Yeadon police at 610-623-1500 or call 911.

delcotimes.com

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