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Police charge homeless man with thefts from parking meters

2 min read
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Monongahela police arrested a homeless man early Tuesday for a spate of thefts from parking meters throughout the city over the last six weeks.

Russell Michael Marycz, 41, who police said is homeless but had been staying at a home on Fourth Street, was reportedly spotted in the vicinity of the parking meters on surveillance video obtained from several businesses.

Police started getting reports around the end of April about parking meters being broken into and damaged. Money was then stolen from the meters, which were on West Main, Chess, Second, Third and Fourth streets.

Evidence gathered by police reportedly showed Marycz at the locations where the meters had been damaged. Police said surveillance also showed him at a convenience store making a purchase with change wearing the same clothes he was wearing at the meters.

After Marycz was taken to the police department, police said they found a box cutter with a broken tip in his pocket.

Marycz reportedly told police he had been staying at the house on Fourth, taking care of cats left behind when the elderly resident died. The owner of the home told police he had been paying Marycz to care for the cats but stopped when he believed he moved away.

The owner told police he was not aware Marycz was staying at the house, but Marycz did keep some items at the residence. Police were given permission by the owner to check the house. Found inside were “No Parking” signs that had been on the meters, a screwdriver with a broken tip and six parking meter tumblers.

Marycz was arraigned before District Judge David Mark on 24 counts of receiving stolen property, 20 counts each of criminal mischief and theft and one count of public drunkenness. He was placed in Washington County jail on $25,000 bond. Marycz is scheduled for a July 11 preliminary hearing before District Judge James Ellis.

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