Hempfield man accused of attempted burglaries in Carbon neighborhood

A Hempfield man was behind bars after state police said he tried to break into two homes Thursday evening and ran away from troopers attempting to arrest him, according to court papers.

Ruben A. Carranza, 35, eventually was captured and arraigned Friday morning on charges of attempted burglary, attempted criminal trespass, resisting arrest and criminal mischief.

Troopers were notified at 7 p.m. Thursday that a man tried to break into the Carbon home of an elderly woman not far from where Carranza lives. A relative of hers provided investigators with video footage that showed the suspect kicking the door multiple times and attempting to get inside through a window, according to court papers. Both the door and window were damaged.

When troopers arrived in the area, they found a nearby resident who reported the same man had tried breaking into their home. Police identified the suspect as Carranza after watching the video footage, according to court papers.

He was spotted in the area by troopers and ran into his home and out the back door, police said. Carranza was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $50,000 bail. He did not have an attorney listed in court records. A June 18 preliminary hearing is set.