Former employee accused of breaking in to South Side vape shop

PITTSBURGH — A suspected burglar caught in the act at a South Side vape shop is allegedly a former employee who was fired, the shop’s owner told Channel 11 News on Thursday.

Authorities said surveillance cameras captured two people in hoodies burglarizing Vapor Galleria on Valentine’s Day night. Police said the pair on video is Travis Coles and his cousin, Jessica Coles.

Vapor Galleria co-owner Gary McBurney said Travis Coles, a former employee, and Jessica Coles stole hundreds of dollars in merchandise, as well as the store’s cash register.

“But we were lucky. He could have taken all of this. He could have smashed our TV,” McBurney said. “He could have done a lot more damage.”

McBurney said he most likely won’t get any of the stolen items back, but he wants to see the persons responsible in jail.

It was unclear why charges were just filed today against Travis Coles and Jessica Coles.

As of Thursday night, neither Travis Coles nor Jessica Coles were in police custody.

Cox Media Group