A cell phone found near where a stolen motorcycle was ditched on Troy Hill Road led police to a suspect in a rash of break-ins that happened earlier this week in Kittanning.
Police traced the phone to Raine Mechling, 19, of 505 N. Jefferson Street, Kittanning, who was arrested and charged Thursday with four felonies for burglary and theft, and a misdemeanor for loitering and prowling at night.
Mechling is accused of entering Tom Close's unlocked garage at 455 North Ave. early Tuesday and stealing the motorcycle. The motorcycle was later found stuck in a ditch by residents on Troy Hill Road in Rayburn. Nearby, they found its keys and the cell phone that they turned over to police.
“This was a violation of someone's sanctuary, their home, a place they're supposed to be and feel safe,” said Kittanning Police Chief Bruce Mathews.
Police are also charging Mechling's mother, Michele, and his grandmother, Charlotte Westly, with misdemeanors for receiving stolen property. The two, who live with Mechling, are accused of trying to sell items stolen in the break-ins at a pawn shop.
Police believe they can tie Mechling to five other burglaries.
Since Sunday, nine break-ins were reported in the borough. In six of them, the suspect forced his way into garages and stole items from cars inside. The break-ins happened on North and Orr avenues, North Grant and North McKean streets and Hawthorne Alley.
“We don't have all of them wrapped up, but we have the majority of them,” Mathews said. “With the spree that has been shown over the last few days, we didn't want to wait to connect every dot. But we connected the major ones.”
Mechling was arraigned Thursday afternoon at District Judge James Owen's court then taken to Armstrong County Jail. Bond was set at $35,000. A preliminary hearing before Owen is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Julie E. Martin is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-543-1303, ext. 1315 or jmartin@tribweb.com.
