Two Allegheny County residents were being held in the Westmoreland County Prison after police said they were involved in a vehicle theft and break-ins at a North Huntingdon neighborhood during the weekend.
Dylan Keith Walklin, 26, of Whitaker, and Celeste Anabelle Hartle, 18, of West View, are jailed on $50,000 bail each.
Township police were patrolling the Overholt Acres neighborhood late Sunday after a rash of vehicle break-ins and three vehicles were reported stolen there during the past month, according to court papers. One of those stolen vehicles — a Honda Pilot — was found unoccupied by police that night parked about a mile away.
Patrolling officers saw a man and woman walking on Route 30 near the Honda and stopped them, according to court papers. Police identified the pair as Walklin and Hartle and found a key to the stolen vehicle in Walklin’s pocket.
He told investigators they had been staying at the Hiland Terrace Motel since Friday and broke into several cars Saturday night until they found the key inside the Honda, according to court papers. They drove it to Moon Township in an unsuccessful effort to find Walklin’s impounded vehicle he allegedly used to flee from police there Friday, before running away on foot, authorities said.
A few residents reported Sunday their vehicles had been broken into overnight. At the pair’s motel room, police found a stolen firearm and $4.79 in coins, according to court papers.
Walklin and Hartle are charged with theft, receiving stolen property and loitering and prowling at night. Walklin faces an additional weapons violation. He is charged in Moon Township with reckless endangerment, fleeing from police and other offenses in connection with the chase.
Neither suspect had an attorney listed in online court records. Preliminary hearings are set for Oct. 2.
