Norristown Man Sentenced to Prison for Home Burglary
Don’Tray Jawanza Hunter faces 15 to 30 months in state custody for the October 2025 break-in on Haws Avenue.
By Pedro Tanaka ·
A jury in Montgomery County determined last month that Don’Tray Jawanza Hunter broke into a Norristown home, a verdict that has now resulted in a prison sentence. The 32-year-old resident of East Elm Street was convicted of felony burglary in connection with an incident that occurred in late 2025.
The sequence of events began on Oct. 14, 2025, when Norristown police responded to a residence in the 700 block of Haws Avenue. The female homeowner returned to find money and various items missing. According to the criminal complaint filed by Detective John Every, the homeowner and her son reviewed home security footage. The video showed a masked man in the rear yard who pulled his hood up before entering through the back door.
Every alleged that the suspect moved through the interior of the house and disconnected a camera after it captured a still image. The homeowner reported that she did not know the man and that he had no permission to enter. She stated that the rear door was locked, implying the suspect forced his way inside. The reported losses included $300 in cash and a gaming system.
Detectives distributed images from the surveillance cameras and identified Hunter as the suspect. He stood trial in September, where Assistant District Attorney Jediah Grobstein argued the footage positively identified him. Defense attorney James Tone countered that the video was not clear enough to remove reasonable doubt. The jury returned a split verdict, convicting Hunter of burglary but acquitting him of a misdemeanor charge of theft by unlawful taking.
On Wednesday, Judge Thomas M. DelRicci sentenced Hunter to 15 to 30 months in a state correctional institution. The court granted Hunter credit for the 12 months he already spent in jail while awaiting action on the charges. In addition to the prison term, the judge ordered two years of probation to run consecutively to parole. This structure places Hunter under court supervision for a total of 54 months. Other charges, including criminal trespass and receiving stolen property, were previously dismissed.
Hunter’s legal team had sought a different outcome based on the clarity of the digital evidence, but the jury found the evidence sufficient for a felony conviction. The sentence reflects the court's assessment of the break-in and the subsequent legal proceedings that lasted from the initial report in October to the sentencing this week.
