3 charged in South Huntingdon burglary

Three people are facing charges in a South Huntingdon burglary, according to court papers.

Michael F. Walz, 35, of Elizabeth is accused of taking $1,065 and a pistol from a home, according to court papers. He is charged with burglary, theft and criminal mischief.

Autumn M. Weigle, 30, of Smithton and Bruce M. Charles, Jr., 36, of Pittsburgh are charged with conspiracy. Weigle faces an additional hindering apprehension count. She was arraigned Thursday and is being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $100,000 bail.

Troopers were called to Railroad Street in Jacobs Creek just before 11 a.m. Tuesday and found a home had been ransacked after its back door was damaged. The resident told police he saw Walz get into a car parked nearby that investigators said was being driven by Charles, according to court papers.

A neighbor told police Weigle used her phone to send a text message to get a ride. Weigle told troopers she had been driving around with the two men looking for scrap metal, but when they realized they didn’t have enough gas to get to the scrap yard, the group parked and she and Walz were ordered to find a gas can.

Weigle said she concealed herself in tall grass while Walz broke into the home and went to the neighbor’s house where she hid Charles’ cellphone, according to court papers. Police found it in the neighbor’s couch.

Neither Charles nor Walz have been arraigned on the charges. None of the suspects had attorneys listed in online court records. Weigle has a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 19.