Staff writer
sbeveridge@observer-reporter.com
MONONGAHELA - A New Eagle man was seriously wounded Sunday when a Monongahela resident shot him as he allegedly was stealing items from vehicles.
James Kress, 23, is in serious condition at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, with a leg wound he suffered in the 4 a.m. shooting on Park Avenue in Monongahela, city police said.
Police are planning to meet soon with Washington County District Attorney Steve Toprani to determine if charges should be filed against the man who shot Kress. Police Chief Brian Tempest said it's only legal in Pennsylvania to shoot someone who is on your property during a crime if there is no other recourse.
Tempest is withholding the name of the man who shot Kress, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Police said Kress and a 16-year-old girl were caught stealing from several automobiles. The girl, who was not identified, is charged in a juvenile allegation with theft and is being held in a youth detention center in Jefferson County, police said.
Kress ran from the scene and was found 45 minutes later with the assistance of a thermal-imaging camera.
"It's a good thing we found him, or he would have bled to death," Tempest said.
"Everyone is saying the bad guy got what he deserved," he said.
But, Tempest said, it's not always legal in these types of circumstances to shoot someone.
"What is the culpability?" he said.