City officials want their bricks back. Hundreds and hundreds of bricks.

A large pile of Christie Avenue's bricks that were removed for utility work were stolen. Now city officials say whoever took the nearly 100-year-old bricks can return them without fear of criminal charges.

“I don't think they were maliciously stolen,” said Councilman Richard Schontz. “That's why we're asking whoever took them to return them with no questions asked.”

They were dug up and removed from about a section of the avenue by a contractor repairing a water line for Pennsylvania American Water. At least several hundred bricks were stored at a dumpsite off Delwood Road just over the city-Butler Township line.

Schontz, head of the streets department, said the workers “went back to get the bricks from where they were stored but they were gone,” he said.

City officials said they likely were taken more than a month ago.

“But we didn't find out until about a week ago,” said Mayor Tom Donaldson.

Schontz said it is the responsibility of the contractor to pay for the new bricks.

“It won't cost the city taxpayers anything,” he said.

Schontz said he believes the theft may have been a misunderstanding, with the suspects taking them without realizing they belonged to the city.

If the bricks are not returned, the city will investigate and pursue criminal charges.

“It would be a felony given the value of the bricks,” Schontz said.