By Joe Genco

Eagle Staff Writer

CRANBERRY TWP — A 21-year-old man was allegedly caught last month in possession of 10 stolen traffic signs.

Charges were filed Thursday against Robert J. Aleva of Cranberry Township.

Aleva was pulled over by a township officer at 8:27 a.m. March 19 on Freedom Road because he had several metal posts hanging out of the bed of his pickup truck, according to court records.

He was taken back to the police station for questioning where he allegedly admitted stealing the signs and signed a written statement.

He allegedly said that he was having a hard time in his personal life and that it felt good to knock the signs down with his truck and steal them. He said that he has a “sign fetish,” police said.

The first theft allegedly happened when he was driving home from a bar around 2 a.m. that day and he had an urge to hit a speed limit sign on Powell Road.

He said that he hit the sign, knocked it over and put it into the bed of his truck. He did this several more times and allegedly ended up with one stop sign, two speed limit signs, one no parking sign, two share the road signs, one Cranberry Township no street parking sign and three street name signs.

He had taken the signs back to his parents’ house and was planning on returning them to their original locations when he got pulled over.

The signs were valued at $762 and the cost of replacing them, including labor, is $2,249, according to records.

He is charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief, all misdemeanors, and is scheduled to appear in district court July 1.