Alexander Rose

A Butler man charged with stealing a gun from his grandfather will be released onto house arrest pending a competency evaluation.

Alexander M. Rose, 18, was ordered released onto house arrest with electronic monitoring by Judge William Shaffer, following a motion Tuesday by his attorney, assistant public defender Joseph Smith.

Rose was initially held in the Butler County Prison on $15,000 bail. He will remain on house arrest pending a psychiatric evaluation to determine if he is competent enough to stand trial.

Rose will be allowed windows for school, therapy and medication management, according to discussions in court.

He is charged with felony burglary, hindering apprehension, theft, receiving stolen property and summary underage drinking after an incident on Nov. 30.

Butler police filed the charges after Rose's grandfather, Marlin Rose, reported a burglary at his home on the 200 block of South Monroe Street, reporting that he suspected that his grandson, who also lives at the home, broke into his upstairs bedroom and stole bottles of whiskey and wine and a Hi-Point .45-caliber handgun.

Marlin Rose said his grandson is not permitted in his bedroom.

Rose was later found allegedly carrying a bag in the area of Center and Fairview avenues, and police said the bag contained bottles of whiskey and wine believed to have been taken from the home.

During an interview, police said Rose allegedly admitted stealing the alcohol and pistol, before tossing the gun into the Connoquenessing Creek while walking across the Picklegate Bridge near Hansen Avenue in Butler Township.

The next day the gun was allegedly recovered during a Butler County juvenile probation check of an apartment in the 200 block of West Brady Street.

Police said Dominic R. Hutchens, 21, and Logan E. Hunter, 19, both of Butler, were in the apartment, where a loaded 9 mm Ruger pistol was allegedly found in a bedroom with Hunter, and in another room two guns — another 9 mm Ruger and a Hi-Point .45-caliber, were found near Hutchens.

Police checked the National Crime Information Center database and found that the 9 mm allegedly found with Hunter was previously reported stolen from a car on Main Street in Lyndora on Nov. 12.

That Ruger was stolen in Penn Township. The Hi-Point, it turned out, also was stolen and belonged to Marlin Rose.

Hutchens and Hunter remain held on $50,000, pending further court proceedings.