A 36-year-old Lebanon man was charged Friday, Jan. 31, over a string of burglaries in Lebanon city.
Alberto Santiago-Pagan faces three felony burglary charges, as well as five additional misdemeanor charges for criminal mischief, possession of an instrument of crime, and possession of illegal drug paraphernalia.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, police had been called to Camelot Cleaners (1141 Walnut St.) on Jan. 25 for a burglary. A suspect had broken a window on the north side of the building and then unlocked it to enter the business. Several power tools, $200 in quarters, and an iPhone were reported stolen.
Video surveillance captured by the owner showed a tall, light-skinned male leaving the building shortly before 7 a.m. and walking east on Federal Street, carrying two bags and a red leaf blower. The suspect was wearing a black mask, a black jacket with a reflective logo patch on the back, black pants, and black boots.
Police were called back to Camelot Cleaners three days later, Jan. 28, for a second burglary in which the suspect gained access to the building in the same way as the previous break-in. The trespasser first left the building with a weed whacker before returning to disconnect the video surveillance. The suspect also took a 60-inch TV from the premises and was seen on video captured by another local business walking north on 12th Street toward Cumberland Street. On this occasion the suspect was wearing a red Jeff Gordon jacket.
Lebanon Detective Ryan Margut said in the affidavit that the suspect could be tracked to the Gulf station at 1201 Cumberland St., where video showed him purchasing two cans of soda and removing his gloves, showing a tattoo on his right hand. According to the affidavit, the suspect made several return visits to Camelot Cleaners to remove additional property.
On Jan. 31, city police were called to the Sunoco gas station at 135 S. 12th St. for a burglary. In video surveillance a suspect could be seen stealing lottery tickets and cash. Other cameras captured the suspect walking from the Sunoco at 2:53 a.m. on Jan. 31, through the Autohaus lot, and then east on Chestnut Street. According to the affidavit, the suspect could be seen walking to the rear of 1127 Walnut St. around 2:57 a.m. This time, the suspect was wearing a blue puffy coat, a mask, black gloves, light-colored pants, and white sneakers with orange markings.
Margut says in the affidavit that he completed a search of a law enforcement database for possible residents at 1127 Walnut St. and cross-referenced the list with photos in another database. Upon review, Santiago-Pagan was identified as closely resembling the suspect seen on the videos. According to the affidavit, one of the photos also showed a tattoo on his right hand that resembled the tattoo visible in the Jan. 28 footage from the Gulf station.
A search warrant was issued, police said in the affidavit, and clothing matching the suspect’s clothes in the video was collected from the basement, along with a pry bar that was allegedly used to break the glass door at the Sunoco station. Also found, according to the affidavit, were a currency box that was stolen from Sunoco, DeWalt drill bits, lottery tickets, and drug paraphernalia including a glass pipe with burnt residue, a snorting straw, plastic containers with residue, and blue glassine wax bags.
Police estimated the value of items stolen from Camelot Cleaners at $2,450. According to the affidavit, the exact value of the lottery tickets and cash stolen from Sunoco is not known, but it is valued at less than $100,000. Damage to windows and doors was estimated at approximately $1,500.
Police said that Santiago-Pagan was taken into custody during the search.
He was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Maria Dissinger and remanded to Lebanon County Correctional Facility in lieu of bail, which was set at $75,000.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 13.
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