MONONGAHELA, Pa.,None — Police said they arrested a man last month in connection with stealing a computer from a Monongahela library four years after the crime.
Investigators said the $700 computer was taken from the Monongahela Area Library on April 23, 2007.
"We discovered a broken window and a ladder up against the building, all the classic signs. We contacted the state police and they were able to retrieve fingerprints off the glass," said Monongahela Police Chief Brian Tempest.
Tempest said the prints were entered into a state computer system, but no match was found at the time. But during a routine run of fingerprints last month, the computer found a match.
"The person who committed the burglary was arrested a few months ago, and the Greensburg crime lab computer was running the new card and matched the case that happened four years ago," Tempest said.
Tempest said Alex Gus, 22, confessed to the crime after he was confronted with the evidence.
"It's wonderful news because you don't think anything that has gone that long would catch up with somebody," library director Elinda Filander said.
After five years, the state purges theirs system of old fingerprints. Tempest said if they would not have found the match, Gus would have likely gotten away with the crime.
"In another 10 months the fingerprint card would have been purged from the system, and if he wouldn't have committed another crime, this case wouldn't have been solved," Tempest said.
Gus was charged with felony burglary and receiving stolen property charges.
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