EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. (WWLP) – An East Longmeadow man was arrested Wednesday following a home invasion where he allegedly held a homeowner at knifepoint and robbed them.

According to East Longmeadow Police Chief Mark Williams, officers were called to a home on Pioneer Circle Sunday around 9:45 p.m. for a report of a home invasion. The homeowner told police they were sitting at their kitchen table when they heard a loud noise in their bathroom.

The suspect then appeared wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood over their head and a black medical mask. It is alleged that the suspect was holding an eight inch knife and approached the victim, held the knife up to their chest and said “I won’t kill you if you give me all of your money.”

The suspect then left the home with an undisclosed amount of cash and the homeowner was not injured. Police found a metal ladder against the home under the first floor bathroom window where the suspect is believed to have entered the home. A State Police K9 tracked from the ladder to the back of the home and into a neighbor’s yard where they then lost the scent.

A few days later, the investigation led East Longmeadow police to believe that 30-year-old Joseph Sherman of East Longmeadow was the suspect of the home invasion. It was discovered that Sherman had been living in a tent in the woods behind a nearby home on Pioneer Circle and was an acquaintance of the residents of that home. Chief Williams said Sherman had vacated the camp and was attempting to run from police.

Sherman was located on Wednesday around 9:00 p.m. at a motel in Chicopee and he was arrested. He was arraigned in Palmer District Court Thursday morning and has been charged with the following:

  • Home Invasion
  • Armed Robbery while Masked
  • Threat to Commit a Crime
  • Possession of a Class B Substance

He is being held without bail until a dangerousness hearing on Friday.

East Longmeadow police led the investigation along with assistance from State Police, Longmeadow Police and the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office.