2 men charged
in thefts, jailed
Two men were jailed after being arrested late Wednesday night by Pottsville police on theft and other charges.
Police said Christopher Ballesteros, 24, and Jason Gold, 28, both of Pottsville, were each charged with possessing instruments of crime, theft, receiving stolen property, theft from a motor vehicle, conspiracy and loitering and prowling at night
The men were arraigned on video conference by on-call Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison, each unable to post 10 percent of $25,000 bail.
Police said the men were taken into custody about 11:55 p.m. after being encountered by officers on a proactive mobile patrol.
The two were found acting suspiciously in the area of Walter Griffith Avenue, police said.
After coming into contact with the men, police said the officers discovered additional information indicating the likelihood that the two were involved in some type of criminal activity.
Police said the encounter eventually led to a search of Ballesteros, resulting in officers recovering items consistent with recent thefts from vehicles that were being investigated.
The items, police said, included red gloves, about $25.06 in loose change, a mobile GPS unit and a hammer that were inside a backpack.
A search of Gold resulted in the recovery of several items, including black gloves and a small flashlight, police said.
During subsequent interviews, Gold admitted to officers that he had been with Ballesteros earlier in the evening when Ballesteros had entered at least two unlocked parked cars in the 7th Ward of the city and removed loose change and the GPS unit, police said.
The investigation confirmed the $25.06 in change and TomTom GPS unit belonged to a resident living in the 1300 block of Seneca Street, and that the items were stolen that night from her unlocked car that was parked in the driveway of her home.
A subsequent search of a home owned by Stella Conklin, 613 N. Third Street, Pottsville, where Ballesteros and Gold had been currently residing, led to the recovery of numerous stolen items, including multiple GPS units and other items linked to a series of recent overnight thefts from vehicles committed between May 3 and 5, police said.