Several Vehicle Break-Ins Reported in Forest Hills

Over the last week, Forest Hills police handled a number of reports of cars being broken into and items stolen from inside them.

A resident of the 500 block of Windsor Avenue reported Jan. 8 that her parked car had been entered and spare change taken from the center console after midnight. The resident discovered the theft about 8:15 a.m. The resident told police the car most likely had been locked. A GPS system and spare change had been taken from the car in another theft on Dec. 30.

Also on Jan. 8, a resident of the 700 block of Atlantic Avenue told police that someone broke into his unlocked vehicle overnight and stole $10 in loose change. He told police he had heard the crime alert about the rash of car break-ins but was not able to secure the locks as they were broken.

On Jan. 7, a resident of 300 block of Avenue A came to the station to report that two six-packs of Mt. Dew, a 50-pound bag of salt and spare change from the center console had been removed from his car. There was no sign of forced entry and the resident was not sure if the car had been locked or not. The resident has had an ongoing dispute with a former roommate, who reportedly had threatened to take things from his car.

While on patrol Jan. 9, an officer spotted a suspicious woman sitting in the driver's seat of a blue Chevrolet sedan on Lenox Avenue at the corner of Pacific Avenue at 3:35 a.m. He approached the woman, who said she was waiting for a friend who had requested a ride, though she wasn't sure of which house he was in. The officer informed her about the number of break-ins and told her if any cars had items stolen from them, he would contact her.

In other blotter items from Forest Hills police this week:

Jan. 9

• A Forest Hills police officer on patrol along Ardmore Boulevard saw a man stumble, almost fall and continue walking with poor balance as he crossed Marion Avenue to the Forest Hills Borough Building. When the officer pulled up  to check if the man was intoxicated or having a medical problem, he smelled the odor of burnt marijuana on him. The office checked the man for weapons. After checking his identification information through a dispatcher, the officer learned the man had an outstanding warrant for drug charges from the Port Authority Police of Allegheny County. At the police station, the officer found the man in possession of three bottles of prescription medication, two of which were not prescribed to him. One contained 32 Alprazolam pills and the other had 69 Clonazepam pills. The officer placed him in a holding cell until the charges could be filed.

• A small, brown-and-white dog named "Patches" was reported missing for the second week in a row after escaping again from his home in the 500 block of Atlantic Avenue. He had been found in the interim.

Jan. 8

• A resident of Highland Avenue in Chalfant met with police to discuss harassing phone calls he is receiving from a former friend. The officers advised him how to handle the situation.

Jan. 7

• Forest Hills police, along with officers from Braddock, Braddock Hills and Turtle Creek, assisted East Pittsburgh police with a report of a man shot in the neck in a Bessemer Avenue apartment. Upon arrival, they learned the man had been driven from the scene. He turned up later at a Wilkinsburg convenience store.

• A resident reported finding hypodermic needles on the sidewalk in the 1800 block of Ardmore Boulevard. Police recovered the needles and properly disposed of them in a medical waste receptacle.

Jan. 5

• An officer on patrol noticed a car parked next to the outdoor trash bins at the rear of the Rite Aid along Yost Boulevard. He found a woman in the bin. Upon questioning, she said she was getting out food and other things the store had discarded.

• A resident of the 100 block of Lenox Avenue found a brown dog with an orange nylon collar with bones on it, but no tags.

• An officer advised three juveniles walking on Ardmore Boulevard near Filmore Road that they were out past curfew. They were questioned and sent on their way.

• A Glassport resident visiting her boyfriend on Sumner Avenue on Jan. 5 called police after discovering her car had been hit by a hit-and-run driver. Both the front bumper and front driver's side of the vehicle were damaged. The officer advised her to contact her insurance company and that he would file a police report.