Area man arrested for theft of tools

A Claysville man was arrested Tuesday after tools stolen from a Habitat for Humanity construction site were found listed for sale on Craigslist, and an officer posed as a buyer to purchase them from the suspect.
North Franklin Township police charged Matthew R. Crawford, 23, of 344 Brick House Road, with receiving stolen property after meeting up with the officer Monday at a Lowe’s Home Improvement store in South Strabane Township, court records show.
The nonprofit organization’s Washington chapter was building two houses in the 100 block of West Palm Street when the tools were reported missing about 9 a.m. Jan. 22, police stated in the criminal complaint. The construction tools were last seen there Jan. 19.
The chapter had stored in one of the houses a box containing about 90 percent of the power tools used by 30 volunteers at the building sites, said Erick Podurgiel, the construction manager.
“We did not get all of our tools back,” Podurgiel said.
He said Habitat for Humanity saw the return of most of its hand tools through the arrest, which were low-cost items as compared to the power tools. The tools were insured, but the deductible on the policy was $5,000, he said.
Podurgiel said he felt the most logical thing for a person to do with 30 hammers and as many speed squares would be to attempt to sell them on Craigslist.
“I just kept cruising there and this advertisement came up,” he said.
Police set up the meeting with Crawford after the tools were discovered Tuesday on the online classified advertisement website.
Crawford was released Tuesday on $5,000 bond set by District Judge Robert Redlinger.
The Habitat for Humanity chapter at 1001 E. Maiden St. has met with other obstacles in building the houses to provide affordable homes for struggling families.
A group of North Franklin neighbors who live in the area pleaded last summer to township supervisors to deny the charity building permits for the projects. A letter they signed suggested Habitat for Humanity find a more suitable location for the houses.
The houses are now about half-finished, said Mark Twyford, the chapters’ executive director.
Twyford praised his construction manager’s investigative work that led to an arrest in the case.
“We are very blessed to have him,” Twyford said.