2 Leechburg residents accused of trying to pick lock at Armstrong methadone clinic

Two Leechburg residents are behind bars after, state police say, they tried to break into a Parks Township methadone clinic Saturday morning.

Richard Samuel Thomas, 37, and Natalie Nicole Milanak, 36, face felony charges of burglary and attempted burglary, and misdemeanor charges of trespassing and criminal mischief.

They remained at Armstrong County Jail on Tuesday after failing to post $100,000 bond each.

State police in Kittanning said they received a report of suspicious people outside the RHJ Medical Center early Saturday morning.

Trooper Jeffrey Johns spoke with staff members, who told him the people were trying to break into the clinic. There were pieces of a razor blade lodged in the lock key hole as well as on the latch, Johns said.

Troopers also saw a rear window that had the screen removed, according to a criminal complaint.

Surveillance footage showed that Thomas and Milanak had been at the clinic and were the only two people there, the complaint said. Both were positively identified by staff members and later found at a friend’s home. They are prior patients of the clinic.

Preliminary hearings for both are set for Feb. 6.

Madasyn Czebiniak and Renatta Signorini are Tribune-Review staff writers.