Case of Beer Leads Police to Burglary Suspect

A case of Lionshead beer helped police track down a burglar Wednesday morning.

responded to the 2800 block of West Liberty Avenue at 2:07 a.m. when a resident of the apartment building reported that he noticed several items missing when he returned home.

Among the missing items were a case of Lionshead beer that had been taken from the refrigerator, as well as a 19-inch television, a checkbook, digital camera, printers and medication.

In addition to the stolen items, the victim’s pet cockatiel was found dead in its cage, which police determined was the result of a broken neck. A second victim in the building reported that electronics and other items had been stolen from his apartment as well.

According to the police report, Dormont officers Jonathan Sagwitz and Ralf Zawischa were in the hallway of the apartment building talking to the victims when another man—later identified as Patrick Gregory, 30, who also lives in the building—walked by holding an empty Lionshead box.

The report states that Gregory asked police if they knew whether or not it was garbage night, then threw the box into a dumpster at the end of the hall. When police retrieved it, they found a number of other items belonging to the victims inside the box.

Gregory was arrested and charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of criminal trespass, theft, two counts of receiving stolen property, and cruelty to animals. He was taken to Allegheny County Jail.

The stolen items were returned to the victim.