ROSE TWP., Pa. (EYT) — A Summerville man faces felony burglary and theft charges after allegedly stealing numerous items from a Rose Township property and selling some of them at a scrap yard, according to police.
Court records show Punxsutawney-based State Police filed criminal charges against 37-year-old Andrew James Birch on November 5.
According to the criminal complaint, a State Police trooper from the Punxsutawney barracks responded to a reported burglary on Hunts Run Road in Rose Township, Jefferson County, on March 19.
The complaint states that a property owner reported several items were stolen from an unlocked shed and house. The stolen items included a Stihl chainsaw, an electric jackhammer, sawmill equipment, seven baseball bats, and two 12-foot aluminum angle beams, the complaint indicates.
The property owner told police he went to a scrap yard in Clarion and saw his bats and aluminum beams there, the complaint says.
The trooper then went to the scrap yard. A manager provided information showing Andrew Birch had brought in the baseball bats and aluminum pieces, according to the complaint. The complaint notes Birch was driving a white Chevy Silverado.
Police made contact with Birch on April 1, the complaint states.
When asked about taking items from the property, Birch “responded by saying (he) was helping a friend,” the complaint states. Birch said he “remembers taking some aluminum angle beams, old sheet metal, and a barrel of baseball bats,” the complaint adds.
Birch faces the following charges:
- Burglary — Overnight Accommodation, No Person Present, Felony 1
- Theft by Unlawful Taking — Movable Property, Felony 3
- Theft of Secondary Metal, Misdemeanor 1
According to court records, Birch is currently in the Jefferson County Jail, where he has been confined since May on charges related to separate incidents.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 8 at 9:15 a.m. with Magisterial District Judge Gregory M. Bazylak presiding.
RELATED ARTICLES:
Fake Gun, Real Trouble: Jefferson County Man Charged in Road Rage Ramming Rampage
Police: Trail Cam Photo Posted on Facebook by Victim Helps ID Burglary Suspect
The post Police: Summerville Man Scraps Stolen Items, Claims He Was ‘Helping A Friend’ appeared first on exploreJefferson.
Read the full story here: https://www.explorejeffersonpa.com/crime/2025/11/06/police-summerville-man-scraps-stolen-items-claims-he-was-helping-a-friend-170136/
