Nearly $6,000 Worth Of Tools And Equipment Stolen From Home Under Renovation
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Pittsburgh Police are investigating two burglaries within days of each other at a vacant North Side home under renovation.
They have arrested one man and are looking for another in connection with the second burglary.
Police say 48-year-old Robby Smith and 53-year-old Russell Lewis broke into the home in the 800 block of Suismon Street on Jan. 20 and took an air conditioning unit.
According to court documents, Lewis was arrested Sunday and a warrant has been issued for Smith's arrest.
On Jan. 17, an employee from Seam Construction allegedly discovered the back door of the home kicked in, along with several tools and ladders missing.
Seam Construction's owner Sean Miller says three days later, the back door was kicked in again with the air conditioning unit missing this time.
Miller says between the two burglaries, he lost nearly $6,000 worth of equipment.
"We lock everything back up and you're like, 'OK, they got us, maybe they'll leave us alone,'" Miller says. "You come back a couple of days later and wham, again."
A neighbor's cameras caught what happened on Jan. 20th.
In surveillance footage, two men are seen walking down Suisman Street and then disappear, allegedly into the vacant home.
Police say a blue Ford pick-up truck arrives and the two men load a brown box into the back and get into the car, which then leaves the area.
According to court documents, police used a camera outside a nearby restaurant on Madison Avenue to identify Lewis and Smith from a prior arrest.
The blue truck then stopped near Federal Street, where another camera allegedly caught the suspects walking toward Muya's Pawn Shop with the brown box.
Police went to the shop and found the stolen air conditioning unit, which sales receipts show was sold to the shop by Smith.
"The police work to be able to find them and actually get justice, actually find a couple of the guys and got our compressor back, which is a little bit more money saved in our pocket," Miller said.
Smith and Lewis are charged with burglary, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy in the Jan. 20 burglary.
No one has been charged in the Jan. 17 burglary, but police are still investigating.
A Pittsburgh Public Safety representative told KDKA that police could make more arrests in the case.
Now Miller is left picking up the pieces.
"I saved all this money up from when I was in the service, and I got out to start this business," he said. "It's just head spinning. What do you do?"
