Attentive neighbor helps Reading police catch man in copper burglary

An alert resident helped Reading police catch a burglar who stole pieces of copper pipe he had cut from a neighbor’s basement, investigators said.

On May 23, police were dispatched to South Sixth Street and Willow Street around 11:30 a.m. for a report of suspicious activity.

According to investigators:

The officer saw Kevin Hanna, 37, of Reading, walk from the steps to the basement door of a home in the 500 block of South Sixth Street into the alleyway, holding several cut pieces of copper pipe.

They ordered Hanna to put the piece of copper on the ground while they figured out what was going on.

Officers asked Hanna if he owned the property. He said the building belonged to his uncle, but he was not in the area.

While police were speaking with Hanna, a man came out of the house and told officers that he was the owner of the house and lived there, adding that he did not know Hanna.

One of the officers went with the owner into the basement to investigate. They found several copper pipes that had been cut in various places in the basement.

They also noticed a book bag on the steps next to the cellar door that did not belong to the owner.

They examined the bag and found bolt cutters and other tools inside.

Police also spoke to the woman who called to report suspicious activity.

She said she noticed a woman in a car parked in the alley. She told the woman to go away and told her she would call the police, which she did.

Police spoke with the woman in the car and she confirmed that she knew Hanna and that the book bag belonged to Hanna. It was unclear if she was charged.

Hanna, of the 700 block of Lance Place, was charged with burglary, trespassing, possession of instruments of crime and related charges.

Following her arraignment before District Judge Carissa L. Johnson in Reading Central Court, Hanna was remanded to the Berks County Jail on $50,000 bail to await arraignment.