Commonwealth v. C.R.

Police received a radio call for people trespassing on SEPTA railroad tracks and upon arrival allegedly observed C.R. and several other individuals loading rail spikes and metal plates from the tracks into a wheelbarrow. The individuals were all arrested for robbery and burglary and police diverted trains from the area for six hours. C.R. was charged with felony counts of Risking a Catastrophe and Conspiracy. At trial the defense challenged the sufficiency of the evidence including the lack of a qualified expert witness to testify to nature of the potential harm that could have resulted from C.R.’s actions, or whether C.R. was actually the one who removed items from the tracks.