Butler men accused of burglary, theft
Two rock- and brick-wielding teenagers are accused of breaking into a Butler tobacco shop and stealing several packs of cigarettes and pockets full of pocket knives.
The suspects — Alexzander C. Bullard, 18, and Francisco J. Delgado, 19, both of Butler — also smashed windows at two other city businesses a short time before the early Thursday morning break-in, Butler police said.
Surveillance footage helped lead police to the suspects’ home where they found the loot stolen from Island Tobacco on Pillow Street, according to court documents. Both teens allegedly confessed to the crimes.
Police suspect the defendants went on a crime spree shortly before 3:30 a.m. during which they used rocks to bust out the windows of four cars while walking home on West Jefferson Street.
Later down the road, police said, the teens shattered a window at the Shell gas station with a rocks. Their walk home soon took them to the Pizza Hut restaurant on West Cuningham Street.
In the parking lot, Bullard allegedly hurled a large rock through a side window at the restaurant. Pizza Hut security cameras captured the vandalism on video, police said.
But Bullard and Delgado weren’t finished, police said. The pair after leaving the restaurant walked toward the West End Plaza, where they were again captured on surveillance video outside the small shopping center.
The footage showed Bullard take a brick that Delgado was carrying, documents said, and hurl it at the window on the front door at the nearby Island Tobacco store.
Both suspects are seen entering and then leaving the store by way of the smashed glass door front. Police recovered two packs of Newport cigarettes outside the store.
Once police reviewed the security footage and identified the suspects, they went to the home of Bullard and Delgado on Fourth Avenue.
In Delgado’s room, police seized a shoe box containing six unopened packs of Newports and 16 pocket knives, taken from the tobacco shop.
Each defendant was interviewed at the station and admitted his role and implicated the other. Police estimated the two caused more than $5,000 in damage to the businesses and cars.
Both suspects were later arraigned on felony charges of burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary and criminal mischief, and a misdemeanor charge of theft.
They are in the Butler County Prison $25,000 bail each.