More charges filed in thefts from vehicles case
A South Strabane Township man awaiting trial for allegedly stealing items from vehicles last month in Peters Township faces additional charges filed by police in North Strabane and Chartiers townships.
Jesse Templeton, 26, was charged Tuesday by North Strabane police Officer Nathan Terling with five counts each of theft, theft from a vehicle and receiving stolen property and three counts of loitering and prowling at night. Chartiers police Sgt. Michael Filosi charged him last week with theft and receiving stolen property.
Templeton was apprehended March 8 by Peters police after a resident of a Venetia neighborhood reported a suspicious man. Police responded to the 500 block of Scenic Ridge Drive after getting a description. They then spotted a vehicle traveling from the area where the suspicious man had been reported.
The vehicle was stopped. Inside the vehicle, the officer could see black latex gloves on the back floor and four pairs of sunglasses on the rear seat. North Strabane Township police arrived to assist. Templeton allowed police to search his car and found at least five cellphones and numerous gift cards strewn through the car. Police also found a large blue pillow sack containing almost $200 on the back passenger floor. Also found inside were flashlights, a ski mask, more gloves, computers and jewelry.
While Templeton was at the Peters police station, Terling questioned him about the rash of similar crimes in North Strabane. Police obtained a search warrant for Templeton’s home and found a pair of Oakley sunglasses that matched the description of a pair stolen from a vehicle in the Meadow Brook plan. Terling also recovered a safe believed to have been stolen from a vehicle in the Fifeshire plan.
Terling and Peters Detective Michael Carso took Templeton to various residential areas, including the Stonegate plan. He reportedly admitted to stealing items from five different vehicles on three days in February. Chartiers police charged him with stealing from a vehicle on Roth Street.
Templeton waived charges including theft from a vehicle and possessing instruments of a crime at a March 21 preliminary hearing before District Judge James Ellis. The new charges against him will be sent by summons from the offices of District Judges David Mark and Jay Weller. Templeton remains free on $25,000 unsecured bond set by Ellis at his preliminary hearing.