Police say they recently found a Schuylkill County man partially submerged amid trash in a dumpster after he unsuccessfully tried to steal a motorcycle from a local business.
The man – identified later as Douglas Ahner Jr., 44, of Pottsville – reportedly told police he was just trying to get a Christmas present for his children. He’s now facing felony theft and misdemeanor drug charges on account of the alleged contents of bag he was carrying.
At about 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 14, police in Saint Clair say they responded to Tractor Supply Company at the Coal Creek Commerce Center for a burglar alarm – a security cable break – activation.
A security cable break, police say, is usually an indication of theft of a large piece of equipment.
At the scene, police say they noticed that the steel security cable at the front of the store had been cut and a piece of equipment appeared to be missing.
As police looked around the building, they say a brand new motorcycle was near a wall at the rear of the store building. A pair of Hyper Tough brand bolt cutters with yellow paint and plastic residue was on top of the motorcycle.
Further investigation also revealed snow and tracks leading from the motorcycle to a nearby commercial dumpster, police say. Looking inside the dumpster, police say they saw a face and arm partially exposed among the trash.
Police drew their Taser and ordered Ahner from the receptacle.
While being placed into cuffs, Ahner reportedly told police he was just trying to get a gift for his children for Christmas.
Police say Ahner also admitted to have drugs and drug paraphernalia on his person as he was being searched. They were located in a bag he was carrying at the time of the incident.
A search of that bag, police say, resulted in the discovery of a green container with two small baggies of suspected methamphetamine and two loose pills that police say are suboxone. A black sock also allegedly contained a glass pipe with burn residue on it.
The bag also reportedly contained various tools of the theft trade, including cutters, pliers, several torches and knives, a screwdriver, a flashlight, a chisel, and small picks.
Ahner reportedly told police that he’d used meth prior to his alleged attempted theft of the motorcycle.
Police are charging Ahner with felony counts of theft and receiving stolen property, and misdemeanor counts of possessing instruments of crime, retail theft, possessing controlled substances and drug paraphernalia, and a summary count of criminal mischief.
A preliminary hearing has not yet been scheduled.
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