Police: Lower Burrell man enters stranger's home, sleeps on couch

Lower Burrell police have charged a city man with illegally entering a city home, sleeping on the couch and then leaving the house wearing a pair of blue athletic shoes owned by one of the residents.

Nicholas Sabo, 19, is charged with criminal trespass, loitering and prowling and public drunkenness.

A Lower Burrell man woke up about 3 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 29 to get ready for work and discovered a man sleeping on his couch.

He woke up his daughter to see if he was one of her friends. He was not, according to a Lower Burrell police report.

They couldn’t figure out who the man was and called police.

The door to the house was closed but unlocked. The front of the home is surrounded by a fence and has an entry gate, according to police.

The sleeping man awoke and headed outside to the family’s car, which was parked in front of the house. The car also was unlocked.

When police arrived, they found the trespasser sitting in the front passenger seat.

Police asked the man to get out of the car several times. Ultimately, they said, they had to go inside the car and escort him out.

Police said Sabo smelled of alcohol and appeared to be incoherent.

After Sabo was taken to the New Kensington police station lockup, the homeowner called police to tell them he was missing a pair of blue athletic shoes. Sabo was wearing the shoes when he was arrested, police said.

He posted $75,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is set for Tuesday, Sept. 7 before District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec.

Sabo’s attorney didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment Friday.