Claysville vehicle owners warned by police
Residents of Claysville are being warned by Donegal Township police to remove valuables from their vehicles and to make sure they lock the doors after about two dozen vehicles were entered last week.
Police Chief John Yancosek said the thefts occurred late on Nov. 22 or in the early morning hours of Nov. 23, when most of the vehicle owners discovered items were stolen from their vehicles.
“They took cameras, binoculars, cash, guns and iPhones,” Yancosek said. “The value of the stolen items is about $4,500 to $5,000.”
Yancosek said it appears the thief or thieves walked through town, checking vehicles.
“A lot of people are saying they locked the doors on their vehicles,” he said. “But there was no sign of forced entry.”
Some vehicles were entered and the contents rifled through, but nothing was stolen. Yancosek believes the culprit was likely on foot.
This is not the first community to recently deal with a rash of vehicle break-ins. Police in North Franklin Township reported several incidents about two months ago while police in North Strabane and South Strabane townships said vehicles were entered in their respective municipalities. South Strabane police Detective Ken Torboli said last month that the thieves were taking whatever they could find in the vehicles.
Cpl. Kiprian Yarosh of the state police Troop B criminal investigation unit said there have been three reports of vehicles entered in the last week, one on Main Street in Buffalo Township and two in Canton Township, one on Weirich Avenue and the other on Old Street.
“It is occurring everywhere. I’ve talked to police in North Strabane and South Strabane, Chartiers and Cecil townships,” Yarosh said. “Once we think we get a handle on who it might be, then someone else’s name pops up.”
Anyone with information on the Claysville thefts is asked to call township police at 724-484-4023, extension 1, and leave a message.