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Charleroi man charged in rash of burglaries

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A Charleroi man suspected in a rash of daylight burglaries in both the borough and North Charleroi in June and July was arrested Monday by Charleroi Regional police.

Jared W. Dalton, 20, of 1115 McKean Ave., was arrested last month for one of those burglaries after he allegedly was spotted leaving a home at 913 McKean Ave., but those charges were withdrawn when witnesses failed to appear for a preliminary hearing before District Judge Larry Hopkins last month. Dalton was taken into custody Tuesday on arrest warrants after he was spotted by police sitting on the front porch of his home.

Police were called to that address Aug. 1 after witnesses reported seeing Dalton break into the home of Ronald Dewitt. Dalton reportedly left the house carrying a blue suitcase belonging to Dewitt that contained a digital camera, safe, $50 in coins and an e-reader.

A neighbor gave police a description, and they apprehended Dalton, who they say had tossed the suitcase. Most of the items were recovered.

The previous day, a resident of 900 Crest Ave. called police after a man knocked on his door. The resident told police the man appeared surprised when he answered the door. That man, later identified by the resident as Dalton, asked for “Anthony.” Police said when Dalton was told there was no “Anthony” at the residence, he left, cutting through yards of several homes heading for an alley.

Police got a description and found Dalton on McKean. Dalton told police he was looking for “Anthony” because he owed him $40, but he did not know where he lived. Police admonished Dalton, telling him not to knock on doors or go through yards.

Later that day, residents of a home in the 900 block of Crest discovered their house had been burglarized.

Lt. Eric Porter said Wednesday after that incident, as well as the burglary on McKean, police considered Dalton a potential suspect in the rash of burglaries.

“We initially got a search warrant for his house and recovered some evidence,” Porter said. “And since we now had a name, we could go to area pawn shops, where we found more stolen items.”

Police found that a flat-screen television reported stolen June 15 from a house on Prospect Avenue had been sold to a woman who used it as a security deposit on her apartment in Charleroi. Her landlord notified police, who suspected the TV had been stolen. Police were able to match the serial number on the TV with a theft report.

Dalton also is charged with burglaries on July 2 in the 600 block of Third Street; July 8 in the 700 block of Liberty Avenue; July 25 in the 1000 block of Oakland Avenue; July 28 in the 700 block of 11th Street; and July 14 in the 800 block of Fallowfield, in addition to the aforementioned burglaries. Items stolen in the burglaries included jewelry and small electronics as well as a rifle. In most cases, he entered the homes through a window on the ground level or pushed in window air conditioning units.

Charges also were refiled in the Aug. 1 burglary of the home on McKean.

Porter said he is still waiting to get fingerprint reports back from several other unsolved burglaries to determine if Dalton was involved in those cases. He said Dalton at this point is not cooperating with police.

Dalton was arraigned before Hopkins on charges related to the break-ins, including multiple counts of burglary, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal trespass. He was placed in Washington County jail on $700,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 3 before Hopkins.

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