Police: Trio Breaks Into 15 Cars, Steals 2 In Washington County
CHARLEROI, Pa. (KDKA) - Charleroi and Donora are on high alert after a rash of car break-ins and thefts.
The Charleroi Regional Police chief said it appears there are three people working together. They broke into dozens of cars in Charleroi and Donora in a matter of three hours and got away with two guns.
In surveillance video, you can see a thief trying to get into Pamela Jericho's parked car on Woodland Avenue in Charleroi.
"That's a little scary," said Jericho.
Jericho's camera caught what Charleroi Regional Police are calling a three-man operation.
The chief said between the hours of 3 and 6 a.m. Sunday, the thieves broke into at least 15 cars in the community, stealing everything from cash to jewelry. They even got away with a gun and took off with two of the cars.
Police said a black car spotted by borough cameras on the Charleroi-Monessen Bridge was one of the stolen ones. They said the white Ford Focus seen in front of it is the initial car the thieves were driving. Police later found the black car abandoned and still running. As for the second stolen car, investigators said it was found all the way in Mt. Oliver.
Danielle Dandelske's car was one on the thieves' hit list. She said it was ransacked.
"I found all of my paperwork in my glove box completely thrown around throughout my car. My car seats were turned upside down. Our cover in the back was taken off. They were looking underneath to see if anything was there," said Dandelske.
Dandelske lives in nearby Donora. Investigators said it was another community targeted by this trio.
"I believe it was planned out because on videos you can see there is a white car that drives up, two males on each side of the road just opening up car doors left unlocked," said Dandelske.
In Donora, the thieves broke into six cars and stole a gun before the trio finished the night off back in Charleroi.
"Very uneasy. I have two kids at home so I don't like the fact that if they broke into my car, they can break into my house," said Dandelske.
"My husband is a deputy sheriff and we usually have a marked car here and it still happened," said Jericho.
Police said all the cars involved were unlocked.
