Finleyville men face burglary charges
Two Finleyville men were arrested Thursday by Southwest Regional police after they allegedly burglarized a vacant Union Township home owned by one of their neighbors.
Arrested were Anthony Farace, 52, of Union Valley Apartments, and Brendan Martin Hensler, 40, of 37 Hidden Valley Drive.
Susan McCartan contacted police Thursday afternoon after she got a report from a neighbor that people were living in her vacant mobile home. She went to the trailer on Hidden Valley and saw signs of intruders.
McCartan also discovered items were missing, including precious coins including Kennedy 50-cent pieces, Pennsylvania state quarters, state quarter sets, wheat pennies and a silver penny along with other coins and a fire resistant box.
When police arrived, they spotted Farace and Hensler in a vehicle owned by Hensler’s wife. They agreed to talk with police.
When police questioned Farace, he became agitated and started yelling, creating a disturbance in the neighborhood.
He admitted to forcibly entering the trailer, but claimed it was to help someone he believed was inside in medical distress.
Hensler reportedly admitted to being with Farace when he entered the trailer. He told police Farace offered to pay him $100 for helping him break into the trailer. He described to police that Farace used a green credit card to manipulate the lock. Hensler told police Farace removed something from the house, but was not sure what, telling the officer the other man had a jacket on his arm covering a large object.
Farace was found with six suspected Oxycodone pills and almost $37,000 in cash in his pants pockets along with a green credit card. He told police he had more pills in his apartment, where police found 29 more suspected Oxycodone pills.
Both men were arraigned before District Judge Robert Redlinger. Farace, who is charged with burglary, conspiracy, criminal trespass, possession and possession with intent to deliver Oxycodone, possessing instruments of a crime, theft and disorderly conduct, was placed in Washington County jail on $50,000 bond. Hensler was arraigned on charges of burglary, conspiracy, criminal trespass and driving with a suspended license and placed in jail on $25,000 bond.
Both men face a Sept. 23 preliminary hearing before District Judge James Ellis.