Police: Cash from Lower Burrell grab-and-run theft dropped by fleeing suspect; accomplice returns $20 to victim who gave chase

Lower Burrell police accused a man of stealing $100 from a customer at a convenience store as the cash came out of an ATM — and then losing the money while fleeing out the back door.

The man’s accomplice, who was waiting outside, picked up the pile of scattered $20 bills and returned one of them to the victim before fleeing, according to investigators.

Nicholas James Hickey, 21, of the 2200 block of Greensburg Road in Upper Burrell and Zackary Paul Hrabczuk, 21, of the 2500 block of Leechburg Road in Lower Burrell were each charged with theft and receiving stolen property.

They were charged by summons April 12 and ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing before District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec on June 20.

Police wrote in a criminal complaint that a man reported he was withdrawing $100 on Jan. 5 from the PNC Bank machine inside the Sheetz store on Craigdell Road when someone standing nearby grabbed the money and fled out the back door.

The man told police he chased after the suspect. But when he got out the door, another man was standing there and returned a $20 bill to him, the complaint said.

Police viewed surveillance video from the store starting about 20 minutes before the theft, which showed two men, later identified as Hickey and Hrabczuk, enter the store with a third man, the complaint said.

Hickey is seen on video making a transaction at the ATM before tossing the receipt into a nearby trash can. Hickey then waits near the ATM while Hrabczuk and the other man leave, the complaint said.

An officer used the partial account number on the discarded receipt to get a search warrant for PNC records that identified Hickey as the cardholder, the complaint said.

Video from the store also showed that the thief had a Pirates-style “P” tattoo on his hand, which matched a tattoo in a booking photo taken for Hickey during a previous arrest, the complaint said.

Store cameras also were used to identify Hrabczuk and the second man, who was not charged in connection with the incident, police said.

Police said Hickey admitted to stealing the money when he was was questioned about the incident, the complaint said.

He told investigators that he dropped all the money he stole while running out of the store but was able to pick up $40 before running off, according to the complaint.

He said Hrabczuk, who was waiting outside, picked up the other $60, handed a $20 bill to the victim who was chasing after him, and pocketed the other $40, the complaint said.