Hancock County authorities warn about daytime burglaries

NEW CUMBERLAND - Hancock County authorities are warning the public and looking for information on a series of recent daytime burglaries.

According to information from Chief Deputy Todd Murray, the incidents took place in the Hardins Run, Frankford Road, Carson Road, Ross Road, Tope Road, Allison Road, Veterans Boulevard, Pine Lane and Virden Heights areas.

"There have been reports of a red pickup truck seen in the vicinity of these burglaries, days prior to the burglaries or after the burglaries," Murray said in a statement released Tuesday.

Witnesses described the vehicle as a shiny red pickup truck with a cap. Some have reported the cap as being red with no windows or a white cap. The make of the truck has varied between Ford and Chevy/GMC.

According to Murray, the one consistent statement from witnesses is that the pickup is "shiny."

The burglaries on Hardins Run and Frankfort Road are most similar to each other since there were two committed on the same day.

In talking with Pennsylvania State Police officials, Murray said they confirmed the daytime burglaries, and two also occurred on the same day. The most recent burglary in Pennsylvania occurred on June 30.

The burglary suspects in Pennsylvania also are taking the same type of items like flatscreen televisions, jewelry and guns, according to Murray.

In Hancock County, deputies got a report on June 24 that a male subject approximately 6 feet tall went to a residence on Ross Road at around 11:30 a.m. and tried to convince the homeowner to let him clean for her.

Murray said the male told the homeowner he would earn $35 dollars if she let him do the work. He had a bottle of what appeared to be Spic and Span cleaner.

The male is described as being 6 feet tall with blonde hair, dressed neatly in a blue plaid shirt and light colored pants.

"The homeowner found this request to be strange and unsolicited," Murray said."She told him she did not need anything and closed the door."

Another relative at the residence saw the individual get into a black "shiny" minivan, described as possibly being a Caravan. This incident is similar to one that occurred on the Pennsylvania side of Hardins Run on Monday. There was no vehicle description obtained.

On June 25, a Tope Road homeowner said someone knocked on her door leading into the residence from the attached garage, according to Murray.

The subject tried to convince her to purchase or let him demonstrate his cleaning product in a spray bottle.

Again the price was $35, and the resident advised him that she did not want the product or service and asked him to leave. The subject got into a dark blue SUV, similar in size to the Expedition. A female was driving, according to reports.

The subjects left the homeowner's driveway and she watched them go across to another Tope Road residence, and they appeared to go down the driveway. When she spoke to the neighbors later, she asked if the subjects had entered their house, and they indicated they were not inside, according to reports.

In another incident, Deputy Chad Lamp said a similar situation occurred June 28 on Pine Lane. A person again was peddling a cleaning solution and wanted $35 for demonstrating it. In this case the homeowner did not get to the door immediately upon someone knocking and when they did get to the door the person was trying to gain entry to the residence via the front door, according to Murray.

There were two incidents on June 28 and 29 where a person went to the door of an Excalibur Drive residence in Hideaway Acres and another one on Rolling Acres. In both cases, the subject was trying to get inside the house by representing a cleaning product. In both instances the person said he was getting $35 for demonstrating the product in homes.

The person at Excalibur Drive was a black male and no other description was given. At the Rolling Acres residence, the person was white, 5-foot-9-inches in height, approximately 25-30 years old with sandy brown hair. He had dress clothes on, according to reports. There was a vehicle seen at the residence. It was described as a dark blue SUV with someone else in the vehicle.

Witnesses reported a silver Dodge Durango with Pennsylvania plates in the Virden Heights area driving slow as if the occupants were casing the neighborhood, according to Murray.

When an individual went to speak to the driver, the vehicle took off, officials said.