Two charged with burglarizing Peters Township self-storage facility
Two men from Allegheny County are accused of burglarizing a self-storage facility in Peters Township over the weekend and attempting to steal gold and jewelry before a woman caught them in the act and called police.
Peters Township police said they were called to Tar Self Storage at 3054 Washington Road shortly after midnight Sunday and found David Michael Wasky using a lock cutter trying to get into lockers located in the interior area of one of the storage buildings, according to court documents.
After Wasky was arrested, he told officers that he was there with another man, Brandon Lawrance Babjack, and he gave a description of what he was wearing, police said.
As officers searched the facility, they eventually found Babjack inside one of the storage lockers rummaging through its contents, according to court documents. Police said they found Babjack in possession of numerous pieces of jewelry, such as gold rings, necklaces and diamond earrings. Police said they also located a sheared lock and bolt cutters inside the unit where Babjack was found.
Investigators did not release an estimate on the value of the items allegedly in Babjack’s possession when officers arrested him.
Police said Wasky and Babjack drove to the self-storage facility together to burglarize it. The woman who called police said she saw a vehicle parked in the back of the facility and a man walking around with a backpack.
Wasky, 51, of Scott Township, and Babjack, 40, of South Fayette, both face felony counts of burglary, conspiracy, trespassing and criminal mischief, and one misdemeanor count of possession of an instrument of crime. Wasky also faces misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia because police said they found him in possession of a glass pipe and methamphetamine.
Both were arraigned Sunday morning by District Judge Michael Manfredi and are being held at the Washington County jail on $175,000 cash bond. Their preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for April 27 at 2:30 p.m.