Six Men Charged in Moon-Area Burglaries

Six men from Allegheny County have been charged in a series of vehicle break-ins and burglaries that occurred in Moon Township and several surrounding communities. 

Moon Police Chief Leo McCarthy said law enforcement agencies from Allegheny, Washington, Butler and Mercer counties along with the Pennsylvania State Police collaborated in the months-long investigation, which resulted in four arrests.  Two of the men involved, McCarthy said, are still at large. 

McCarthy said the men worked together to target suburban communities that were easily accessible from major highways. They stole a motorcycle and items worth thousands of dollars from unlocked vehicles and unsecured garages. 

"These are primarily cases of theft from a vehicle," McCarthy said. "They entered unsecured cars and garages -- it was rare that a vehicle was broken into when it was locked." 

McCarthy said the group was responsible for 31 theft incidents in the township since March 2009. 

The men charged are Michael A. Welsh, 20; Jesse Brazell, 24; Joshua L. Evans, 24; Jesse Evans, 22; Michael Hirschfield 24; and Richard Glynn, 23. All of the men are from Allegheny County. 

Hirschfield was charged by Canonsburg police with theft from a motor vehicle, four counts of theft by unlawful taking, three counts of receiving stolen property, one count of atempting to commit a theft from a motor vehicle, and a felony count of burglary.

Canonsburg police charged Brazell with theft from a motor vehicle, four counts of theft by unlawful taking, prowling at night, three counts of receiving stolen property, and attempt to commit theft from a motor vehicle.

The charges for both Brazell and Hirschfield stem from incidents last September.

Each of the men involved face multiple charges for the year-long string of incidents, including burglary, receiving stolen property, criminal conspiracy, theft from a motor vehicle, theft by unauthorized taking, and loitering. 

McCarthy said police in West Virginia apprehended Jesse and Joshua Evans. They remain jailed there. Officers in other jurisdictions arrested two of the other men involved, although he was not sure which departments.

McCarthy said investigators identified the suspects through fingerprints. He said the men often left items behind at crime scenes. 

He said the Evans brothers provided a statement to Moon detectives, leading to the identification of several of the men involved. 

Pennsylvania State Police said the men stole handguns and rifles, small electronics such as iPods, laptops and GPS systems as well as purses and wallets. Many of the items were sold for cash. 

"During interview conducted by investigators, some of the criminal participants explained that they targeted the suburban neighborhoods due what they believed to be was a false sense of security in those neighborhoods," according to a statement released by state police.

Editor's Note: The story originally appeared on Moon Patch.