PITTSBURGH — Aaron Hicks, 28, of McKees Rocks, faces five charges stemming from an alleged theft inside the Allegheny County Courthouse at around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
A woman who was testifying as a witness in an ongoing trial was apparently instructed by a witness advocate to place her purse on a table outside the courtroom.
“There weren’t a lot of people in the courthouse,” said Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus. “They assumed that would be a safe location to secure their belongings.”
According to Kraus, Hicks was caught on video surveillance going through the woman’s purse and other bags on the table.
Court documents show Hicks got away with $140 cash and multiple credit cards.
“We reviewed surveillance video and court records of who was in the courthouse,” explained Kraus. “We were able to identify that person, shut down the credit cards, and we arrested him later that night.”
Hicks was arrested around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday after a Stowe Township police officer spotted him walking down the street.
This latest arrest comes less than a month after Hicks was arrested and charged with retail theft on Jan. 23.
According to the sheriff’s office, Hicks was on probation in connection to three convictions in 2012 and two in 2016. He also has four cases currently pending, which is why he was in the courthouse to begin with on Tuesday.
Officers recovered the stolen items and returned them to the woman on Wednesday.
Hicks is due back in court on March 9 for a preliminary hearing.
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