Community Corner

Burglary Ring Targeting "Safe" Cranberry Broken Up

Police said men broke into cars and garages in Allegheny, Mercer, Butler and Washington counties.

Authorities charged six people today with participating in another ring of burglars who targeted Cranberry Township and other communities because they believed a “false sense of security” existed in those neighborhoods.

Michael A. Welsh, 20; Jesse Brazell, 24; Joshua L. Evans, 24; Jesse Evans, 22; Michael Hirschfield 24; and Richard Glynn, 23, were charged in a series of vehicle break-in and burglaries that occurred in Cranberry, Moon and Pine townships, Franklin Park, Jefferson Hills, Mt. Lebanon, and several surrounding communities between March 2009 and November 2010. All of the men are from Allegheny County.

Moon Police Chief Leo McCarthy said law enforcement agencies from Allegheny, Washington, Butler and Mercer counties as well as Pennsylvania State Police collaborated in the months-long investigation, which has since resulted in four arrests.  Two of the men involved, McCarthy said, are still at large.

Find out what's happening in Cranberrywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

McCarthy said the men worked together to target suburban communities that are easily accessible from major highways. They stole a motorycle and other items worth thousands of dollars from unlocked vehicles and unsecured garages.

McCarthy said the group may be responsible for up to 65 thefts across four counties. Cranberry Police Sgt. Chuck Mascellino said all of the thefts in Cranberry Township involved what he described as "a lot" of vehicle break-ins.

Find out what's happening in Cranberrywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"These are primarily cases of theft from a vehicle," McCarthy said. "They entered unsecured cars and garages -- it was rare that a vehicle was broken into when it was locked."

McCarthy said police apprehended Jesse and Joshua Evans in West Virginia, where they remain jailed. He said officers in other jurisdictions have arrested two of the other men involved, though he was not sure which departments.

Among the many charges against the men from various community police departments are theft, burglary and receiving stolen property.

McCarthy said investigators identified the men through fingerprints. The men often left items behind at crime scenes.

He said the Evans brothers provided a statement to Moon detectives after they were apprehended, leading to the identification of several of the other men involved.

State police said the men stole handguns and rifles, small electronics such as iPods, laptops and GPS systems as well as purses and wallets. Many of the items were sold for cash.

The men told investigators they targeted suburban neighborhoods because people in those areas often believed they are safer, state police said. Often the items stolen were not hidden or were in unlocked vehicles, according to police.

Kepp checking back with Patch for more information. 

Cranberry Editor Jessica Sinichak contributed to this story.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here