Two Philadelphia men have been arrested and charged in a string of thefts from vehicles in Caernarvon Township.
Robert Lucera, 30, and Matthew Payne, 28, were each arraigned Thursday in front of Berks County District Judge Carissa L. Johnson.
Lucera was charged with two counts of receiving stolen property and one count each of access device fraud, prowling at night, theft and possessing a firearm without a license. He was placed in Berks County Jail in lieu of $75,000 cash bail.
Payne was charged with two counts of receiving stolen property and one count each of possessing an illegal firearm, possessing a firearm without a license, access device fraud, theft and prowling at night. He was placed in Berks County Jail in lieu of $75,000 cash bail
According to Caernarvon police:
The thefts took place in the early-morning hours Thursday in the Pennwood development. Victims reported various items were stolen, including at least one wallet and a laptop computer.
The victim whose wallet was stolen monitored activity on a credit card and saw that it had been used three times at the Walmart in the township just before noon.
Police viewed Walmart surveillance video of two men using the credit card to purchase a big-screen television, a speaker and socks. Investigators were able to identify the suspects’ vehicle as a U-Haul truck.
Through security cameras, police were able to track the truck to a nearby gas station. Officers responded there and saw the empty vehicle parked at a gas pump.
Police watched the truck until the suspects returned, then arrested them.
Lucera admitted to the thefts, and the two told officers that the items bought with the stolen credit card were in the truck. Several of the items that had been reported stolen, including a firearm, were recovered from the truck.
Police are asking anyone in the area who may have had something stolen from their vehicle to contact them and to check any video surveillance they may have for video of the suspects.