Following a string of thefts from cars in North Cornwall and South Lebanon townships, police are asking victims to come forward, even if the items taken were low value.
“He’s been hitting us a lot and he’s been hitting South Lebanon a lot,” said North Cornwall Township Police Chief Harry Ward.
Ward said the thefts appear to be from cars that were left unlocked overnight. Ward advised the public to leave their car doors locked, and said that with the warmer temperatures approaching, it’s likely this behavior will happen again, even once the current perpetrator has found themselves in a new residence (at least temporarily).
Ward also asked for the public’s help in documenting the incidents, no matter the monetary value of what was taken.
“If there’s a message to people, it would be that if you’re a victim of a crime, there was someone in your car, he stole $20 of change, that’s still a theft,” said Ward. “Every one of those incidents is an incident.”
Discussion of the thefts sprung up on social media after the incidents began last weekend. LebTown is not linking to social media posts purporting to show an individual casing vehicles during daytime hours due to being unable to verify whether the individual is in fact a suspect in the case. However, Ward said that the North Cornwall police department is very actively working on the investigation, with NCTPD officer Christian Jablonski taking point on the case.
“When we catch this guy, I can’t charge him for you reporting this on Facebook, I need him to be reported to the police,” said Ward.
Ward noted that while it is possible to amend charges after a suspect has been apprehended should more victims come forward, it makes more work for the department than if the victims had identified themselves prior to arrest.
Ward asked anyone who is a victim or has other information about the thefts should contact North Cornwall Police at (717) 274-0464.
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