Cops: Man who allegedly claimed to be firefighter during burglary arrested again
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A man awaiting trial for burglary and impersonating a firefighter was arrested again Wednesday in Salem Township after a break-in at a senior citizen recreation center.
Charles J. Beiter, 33, was arraigned Thursday on charges of disorderly conduct, illegally trespassing, loitering, theft and possession of marijuana filed by state police at Kiski.
Washington Township District Judge Jason Buczak remanded Beiter to the county prison on $25,000 bond.
Trooper Shauntai Hall arrested Beiter Wednesday night at the Cloverleaf Estates Mobile Home Community for senior citizens near Delmont, where he has been living with his mother.
Hall alleges that managers at the mobile home park called troopers after discovering video surveillance of Beiter breaking into the community center on Feb. 16, and receiving complaints from other employees that Beiter was seen on multiple occasions “prowling around” after the community center had closed.
Hall said a resident who was at the community center Sunday reported catching Beiter “searching through her purse in an attempt to steal cash or other items of value.” The woman said Beiter fled when he was confronted.
After Beiter’s arrest, Hall said family members permitted troopers to search his bedroom, where a small amount of marijuana was seized.
On Jan. 11, state police arrested Beiter on two charges of burglary, impersonating a public servant, theft from a motor vehicle, two charges of loitering and prowling at night and public drunkenness and similar misconduct after he allegedly entered a Mt. Pleasant Township home.
He told the occupant of a home on Joyce Drive that he was part of a fire department and medical service.
On his Facebook page, Beiter identifies himself as a former employee of the Jeannette EMS. Beiter worked as an EMT with the city until 2013 or 2014, according to Jeannette EMS.
No issues were reported during his employment, officials there said.
Facebook posts of Beiter wearing a T-shirt from Grandview Volunteer Fire Department, located in Penn Township, the day of his initial arrest resulted in the fire department posting its own notice that Beiter was never a firefighter there.
Court dockets said Beiter was released from the county prison on Jan. 23 after his $5,000 bail was reduced to unsecured bond following an agreement between his private attorney, Tim Andrews of Greensburg, and the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s office.
“I haven’t heard anything about this (his most recent arrest) so I really can’t comment on it,” Andrews said Thursday.
Buczak scheduled a preliminary hearing on the new complaints for March 3.