Car thefts are being investigated throughout Westmoreland County.
Over the past several weeks, North Huntingdon, Irwin Borough, and Murrysville have all seen vehicles being stolen.
“It’s a crime of opportunity,” Irwin Borough Police Chief Dan Wensel said. “We’ve had three cars taken out of our borough. They’re looking for vehicles that are left open with keys in their cars. We have a network where we reach out to other municipalities for major incidents like this.”
“They’re just going from car to car,” Murrysville Police Chief Tom Kusinsky added. “We had several vehicles entered that were unlocked. They hit one neighborhood and got three cars.”
This occurred in Westmoreland County for weeks.
Surveillance video was provided by Murrysville police showing a masked suspect trying to get into a locked car. It happened this past Saturday.
The cars that were stolen in Murrysville and Irwin ended up in the same place.
“The vehicles out of our area were all found in Pittsburgh,” Wensel said. “They were all in the same location. [The vehicles] are being used to commit other crimes in other communities.”
Majority of the stolen cars have been found.
“Those vehicles were later recovered in the city of Pittsburgh,” Kusinsky said. “We know [the suspects] are coming out of the city [of Pittsburgh] because the cars are ending up back in the city.”
One suspect was led into custody from one car in Irwin.
“The driver of the vehicle, which was stolen out of North Irwin, was apprehended and was a juvenile,” Wensel said. “We obviously want to catch these individuals. We have some fantastic leads on these individuals.”
A warning is being sent out to the public while police work with the Pittsburgh police.
“Lock your cars and take your valuables out of them,” Wensel said. “That’s even if it’s sitting in your driveway in front of your home. Take any firearms with you. You have that for protection. If you’re inside your home, it’s probably best to have it with you. It’s not doing you any good inside your car while you’re in your bed sleeping.”
