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Brian Joseph Carey, 41, was arrested late Wednesday, Feb. 16, hours after detectives with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Bristol Township Police Department named him as a person of interest in the death of Joseph Michael Jakimowicz, of Bristol Township.
Carey was charged with one count of homicide, possession instrument of crime, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, stalking, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, the DA's office said in a Friday, Feb. 18 news release.
He was arraigned on the charges listed above and remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail.
Bristol Township police officers were initially called to a house in the 700 block of Winder Drive, where they found Jakimowicz's body lying in a pool of blood around 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15, a criminal complaint states.
Jakimowicz died of multiple sharp force injuries to the face, neck, and back, according to the Bucks County Coroner's Office, and his death was ruled a homicide, records show.
During the investigation, relatives told detectives that Jakimowicz had been having ongoing problems with his estranged stepson, Carey, for some time, according to the DA's office.
Carey apparently had been accusing Jakimowicz of killing his mother, Donna Jakimowicz, and stealing his inheritance, according to a criminal complaint. Donna Jakimowicz, the victim's wife, died "a few years ago", the complaint states.
Jakimowicz's relatives claimed he was afraid for his safety and kept his house doors locked after Carey threatened him via text message and left him threatening voice mails, authorities said.
They went on to say that Carey had a "hit list" of family members he wanted to kill, and Jakimowicz was on it, according to a criminal complaint.
Surveillance footage from Monday, Feb. 14, shows a person in olive green pants, black boots, and a black hooded sweatshirt getting off a SEPTA bus at Route 413 and Winder Drive and walking to Jakimowicz's home, the DA's office said. The person was also carrying a blue backpack with a circular white emblem.
The person can then be seen walking into the victim's home through the front door around 2:18 p.m. and leaving in the victim’s 2006 Chevy Trailblazer at 2:39 p.m., according to the DA's office. The person in the footage was later identified as Carey.
Shortly after issuing an alert Wednesday morning, the victim's vehicle was found in Philadelphia, and Carey was found in a bar in Trumbauersville Borough, police said.
Carey was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police troopers after they discovered methamphetamine and smoking pipes on him, and he was taken to county jail on $750,000 bail, on the drug offenses, authorities said.
Troopers also found five knives and a large amount of cash on Carey, police said.
Carey's blood-stained sweatpants were then sent to a lab for testing, and the DNA results were found to be a match for Jakimowicz, according to the complaint.
"We certainly would not have caught him as quickly as we did without the public’s help, those who responded with several tips as to his whereabouts when we were looking for him. In addition, I thank the Bensalem Township Police, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Bucks County Detectives for their relentless pursuit of this killer until they apprehended him," Bucks County DA Matt Weintraub said.
"Our community is safer because of them."
A GoFundMe launched by the victim's loved ones had raised over $1,000 as of Friday, Feb. 18.
"Joseph "Dutch" Jakimowicz was taken from his family and friends suddenly in a heinous and horrific way," Kristen Grow wrote on the campaign.
"Joe was an amazing father, grandfather, and friend. We will miss him dearly. I am starting this page to help the family pay for funeral expenses."
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