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Two Arrested in Jan. 21 Freedom Township Burglary

Two men are facing charges in connection with a home burglary in Freedom Township on Jan. 21.

Giuseppe S. Amato, 28, of Woodbury, and Justin K. Brunner, 26, of Bedford, are facing charges after a traffic stop in Roaring Spring led police to the two men and the stolen items in Woodbury.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Freedom Township police, officers were called to a home along Feathers Lane after the resident discovered her home had been broken into.

When police arrived, they found the front door had been damaged and a gun safe had been stolen. Due to prior break-ins at the home, the victim had a security camera in place. When police viewed the footage, it revealed that on Jan. 21 a silver Pacifica pulled into the victim’s driveway and two males exited the vehicle. One of the men was recorded kicking in the front door and gaining access to the home.

Police said both males are seen entering the home and pushing a safe out the front door into the waiting vehicle. Police obtained video surveillance from a neighboring home that they say captured the vehicle’s license plate. When police ran the plate, the vehicle showed registered to Trista D. Foor, 30, of Osterburg.

On Jan. 22, a Roaring Spring Borough police officer spotted the Pacifica travelling north on Woodbury Pike and initiated a traffic stop. Foor was driving the vehicle and allegedly told the officer that Amato and Brunner were the two men seen in the video breaking into the Freedom Township home on the previous day

According to police, Foor told them that the stolen items were at Amato’s residence in Woodbury, located beside the OIP pizza shop. Police said Foor showed them pictures on her cellphone of the stolen gun safe laying on the back seat of her vehicle as well as checks from the victim’s house.

Freedom Township police, along with State Police, Bedford, were notified of the information Foor gave to the officer and it was discovered that Brunner was wanted on a felony warrant out of Bedford County.

Police went to Amato’s residence on Main Street, Woodbury, where they allegedly spotted the stolen gun safe and various items from the burglary in a garage.

Police obtained surveillance video taken from a camera belonging to a neighbor next to the garage. The video allegedly showed Amato and Brunner arriving at the garage in the Pacifica on Jan. 21, shortly after the burglary.

Police said Brunner fled on foot when he saw police but was later located in the garage. Amato, who police said has a felony warrant out of Blair County, was found in his apartment on Main St., Woodbury.

Both men were charged by Freedom Township police with felony burglary and theft by unlawful taking as well as a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief.

Amato was arraigned by Martinsburg Magisterial District Judge Andrew Blattenberger, and placed in the Blair County Prison on $50,000 bail. A preliminary Hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4, in front of Blattenberger.

Brunner was committed to the Bedford County Jail to await formal arraignment on the charges.

Foor was charged by Roaring Spring police with driving while operating privileges are suspended.

 

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