A man will serve 5 ½ to 12 years in state prison after pleading guilty to burglarizing a Columbia home and being sentenced by Lancaster County Judge Howard Knisely last week.

John Roy Gerfin, 54, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of burglary after he entered an apartment in the 200 block of North Second St. occupied by a mother and her 11-year-old daughter on December 16, 2021, around 6:59 a.m. He was sentenced last Thursday.

The victim heard someone “rummaging around” on the first floor and confronted Gerfin, who was in the victim’s kitchen. The defendant fled through a rear door with two bottles of Smirnoff alcoholic beverages; a sports bra and pair of jeans were also reported missing.

At 7:40 a.m., Gerfin was found hiding underneath a large tree concealed in leaves near the location of the crimes. Both victims positively identified Gerfin and items that he left in the second location on North Second St. belonged to the first victim.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman prosecuted the case and arranged the plea deal.

Columbia Borough Police Officer Brent Smith filed charges.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.