In the early hours of Sunday, January 18, 2026, the quiet of a neighborhood in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, was shattered by the sound of multiple gunshots. The violence that erupted inside a home on Locust Street claimed the life of 54-year-old Andre Littles, a man from Pittsburgh. The tragic event unfolded around 2:30 a.m., leaving the community in shock and mourning.
When police responded to the reports, they discovered a grim scene within the residence.
Inside the home, officers found Andre Littles and a woman, identified as 38-year-old Ashley Anne Delucca of Ambridge, both deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. Miraculously, two teenagers who were also inside the house at the time of the shooting were found unharmed and were safely taken to the home of a family member. The incident was quickly determined to be a double homicide, prompting an immediate and intensive investigation by the Ambridge Police Department.
The investigation swiftly led to the identification of a suspect, 39-year-old Howard James Thomas Jr. of Ambridge. It was discovered that Thomas resided at the same Locust Street home as Ashley Delucca. An alert was issued for Thomas and his vehicle to surrounding law enforcement agencies. Later that morning, around 8:37 a.m., the Ohio State Highway Patrol notified the Ambridge police that they had apprehended Thomas. His capture followed a motor vehicle accident in Zanesville, Ohio.
Howard James Thomas Jr. was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash and was subsequently taken into custody. An arrest warrant had been issued by the Ambridge police, charging him with two counts of homicide. He is also facing a dozen felony offenses, including aggravated assault, prohibited possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, and discharging a firearm into an occupied structure. The community of Ambridge was left to grapple with the tragedy, as law enforcement assured residents that it was an isolated incident and there was no further threat to public safety.
