Homeless couple charged in West Reading vehicle break-ins

A 38-year-old man and his 19-year-old girlfriend were behind some of the break-ins that took place in West Reading in early April, borough police said.

West Reading police Det. Matthew Beighley said neighbors saw the pair entering unlocked cars around South Seventh and Wayne Avenues. Officers from West Reading and Wyomissing went after the suspects and they were caught about 1:48 a.m. April 6 near the boundary of the two boroughs.

Officers found the woman with a stolen laptop from one of the vehicles, Beighley said. The couple admitted to entering eight vehicles that night.

“They were just looking for unlocked cars,” he said.

From April 1 to April 6, about 18 vehicle break-ins were reported in West Reading. Beighley said in all the cases, the vehicles were unlocked; he didn’t receive any reports about damage like broken windows or jimmied doors in any of the cases, he said.

Beighley described the man as a suspected heroin addict and said the woman is his pregnant girlfriend. They didn’t admit to any of the earlier break-ins and, barring fingerprints or DNA evidence, likely wouldn’t be tied to any thefts they didn’t admit to, Beighley said.

He did note that he hasn’t received any reports of vehicle break-ins since April 6, however.

Nice weather tends to lead to crimes like this, Beighley said. Many times, he said, the thieves are drug addicts looking for items they can sell on the street for cash.

When it’s nice out, it’s when they hit,” Beighley said. “A lot of people walk through the borough.”

The man and woman were each charged with three counts of criminal conspiracy and one count each theft, receiving stolen property and prowling at night. The man faces an additional charge of theft from a motor vehicle. They were jailed in lieu of $5,000 bail each.

Beighley said the two best ways to prevent thefts are to lock vehicles and don’t leave any valuables in them.