An off-duty Westmoreland County detective who noticed suspicious activity in his Unity neighborhood this week helped state police identify two men they believe stole a handgun, a Louis Vuitton wallet and $340 from four vehicles, according to court documents.
Arrest warrants have been issued for the suspects: Dominyck S. Sims, 26, and Joeshua D. Waye, 27, both of Maryland.
The detective reported seeing a Dodge Charger driving slowly in the early morning hours Tuesday outside his home in the Mountain View area. Two men got out of the car and walked along a street with backpacks.
When the men got back into the car to leave, the detective followed them to a gas station in South Greensburg, about 8 miles away, according to court papers. Two state troopers caught up with them there and said they identified one of the men as Waye. He was wearing dark clothing.
The other man provided a false name, but investigators said they later identified him as Sims. It was unclear how they did so from court papers.
The two troopers apparently let the men go. They had not been arraigned. Police could not be reached Friday.
Four residents in the Mountain View area reported items and cash were taken from their vehicles overnight. One of them had footage from a doorbell camera that showed Sims wearing black clothing entering his vehicle after 3 a.m.
Security footage from another location showed a person fitting the description of Waye attempting to get into a vehicle, but it was locked, according to court papers.
The suspects are charged with theft, conspiracy, loitering and prowling at night and related offenses. Sims faces an additional charge of providing false identification to police.
