PITTSBURGH — A 17-year-old boy, who sources say could be responsible for breaking into 100 vehicles and stealing a dozen cars across the city, was in police custody yesterday morning. By today, he was back home with his mom on an ankle monitor.
“Our officers did the job. And they found out who was doing these break-ins. From there, that’s where we end. We go through the criminal justice system, and whatever the judges rule, the judges rule,” Mayor Corey O’Connor told Channel 11.
The break-ins happened in Brookline, Beechview, and Brentwood.
The teen’s arrest came after sources say Pittsburgh police detectives worked overnight to track him down.
Councilman Anthony Coghill represents this part of town, and knew about the planned sting to find the teenager.
“Cars were getting ransacked across Brookline. Our commander put two detectives on the case and did excellent police work to catch him. It’s a shame, and a waste of our city resources to hear that he’s back on the street,” Coghill said.
For a 17-year-old boy, he has an extensive criminal history.
Sources tell us the teen was previously charged as a juvenile for assaulting two family members.
You also may remember when a stolen car slammed into a vape shop on Brookline Boulevard last summer. Sources tell us that this same teenager was driving that car.
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We do have questions for court officials to find out why he wasn’t booked into the Shuman Center.
We didn’t get an official response, but sources tell us he didn’t meet the criteria to be held in Shuman.
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