In a string of heists that would seem more at home in a crime movie, a couple has reportedly made off with over $17,500 from bar burglaries spanning multiple Western Pennsylvania counties. David Rice and Stephanie Hankle are the accused in a spree affecting family-run establishments in Washington, Fayette, and Westmoreland Counties, as they targeted locales such as The Darkhorse Saloon and Coal Hill Tavern.
According to WTAE, the pair’s method was systematic: Hankle would transport Rice to the bars to scout out security features and possible entry points. When one establishment closed for the night, Rice allegedly broke in to collect cash, pilfer money bags, and sometimes even haul away an entire ATM, among other loot. "You know, these are family owned businesses and they're trying to progress in their communities and have a good establishment. And this boyfriend girlfriend couple in 2023 just tried to really take home a lot of cash," Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Rocco Gagliardi said in an interview.
Rice's actions involved stealing money, poker machine earnings, and alcohol, showing little concern for the struggling businesses he targeted. The damage totaled about $8,000, with places like Starlite and The Watering Hole left to deal with his crimes' financial and physical impact.
Audacy revealed more details by painting a picture of a couple keenly observing their targets before striking. "They would start kind of eyeing up the bars and seeing, maybe some of the weaknesses or this back door is always propped open or . . . the bar closes at 2 but they close up at 1," Trooper Gagliardi relayed in a statement to KDKA Radio. These observations likely assisted in the string of successful burglaries.
Rice and Hankle now face multiple charges, including burglary, criminal trespassing, theft, and criminal mischief.
