Pittsburgh police have apprehended five men in connection with a theft at the vacant Veterans Affairs property in Highland Park, as reported by WTAE. During a proactive patrol on Tuesday, officers noticed an open gate at the site of the former VA hospital. They discovered over 2,000 pounds of cut copper piping, estimated at around $7,035.
The trespassing incident led to a search and the arrest of four men on the scene, then a fifth man was found carrying a bag of tools used to cut, package, and transport the copper. According to the police report obtained by KDKA Radio, the suspects are Robert Wayne Felton Jr., Brando Balzer, Matthew Wiggins, and Matthew Cain, with Darnell Posey to be charged via summons. While police were conducting the patrol, officers discovered a duffel bag filled with the stolen materials nearby.
Each man now faces many charges, including burglary, criminal mischief, and institutional vandalism. Pittsburgh police recovered various tools at the scene, which were allegedly facilitating these illegal activities, further substantiating the charges against the individuals involved. Details around this incident were released following the arrests, and the ongoing investigation has shed light on how the suspects conducted the theft.
A fifth suspect, carrying a bag of tools during the operation, was encountered upon a secondary search of one of the buildings on the property, according to police statements shared by WTAE.
