By Matt Snyder
MERCER — A Mercer man arrested Jan. 11 for burglary may have been responsible for other thefts in Mercer and surrounding townships, said state police.
Chad Anthony Combs, 38, of 224 S. Otter St., had charges held to court before District Judge Lorinda L. Hinch, Mercer. He has only been charged in a Coolspring Township burglary so far.
Police said he kicked in a door on Apache Trail and found a 17-year-old girl in the home. He fled and got his van stuck in the snow. Police caught up with him shortly after he freed the van.
State police detective Dan Sindlinger warned residents that, while Combs is suspected in some of the burglaries in and around Mercer, they should continue to be cautious and lock their doors.
He said people should also avoid leaving valuables in their cars in plain sight and should try to be more generally aware.
“Times are changing, and they continue to change,” Sindlinger said.
In November, state police said daytime burglaries were happening in Findley, Jackson, Worth, and Wolf Creek townships, all near Coolspring Township.
Mercer police also reported a rash of burglaries on Pitt, Butler, Home, and Market streets and Vogan Drive, which had been broken into for cash and prescription painkillers.
The last Mercer burglary happened on Vogan Drive on Jan. 8, Mercer police Chief David Fockler said.
Upset Mercer residents have appeared at borough meetings, and at least one woman from the area showed up for Combs’s preliminary hearing. She declined to comment.
