Butler police recover several stolen handguns
Butler police conducted two raids Monday and recovered multiple handguns that were stolen in a string of recent burglaries.
Two break-ins Saturday bring the number of burglaries in Butler since Nov. 8. to at least 10.
A homeowner on Orchard Avenue told investigators that she returned to her house about 3:25 p.m. Saturday to find the back door had been pried open, said Deputy Chief David Adam.
The house had been ransacked and a .380-caliber Ruger pistol, a Sony PlayStation video game console and two video games had reportedly been stolen.
Adam said police believed the home was targeted between 7:15 a.m., when the victim left for work, and when she returned that afternoon.
A neighbor reported seeing a suspicious male in the area about 12:30 p.m. He was wearing a green Carhartt-style jacket, a tossle cap and a black backpack with gray trim.
The Ruger pistol, a 9mm pistol and a .22-caliber revolver with an altered serial number were recovered when police executed a search warrant Monday morning at a duplex on the 400 block of West Penn Street. Police also recovered three cellphones and a wallet, according to court documents.
Also on Orchard Avenue, which is near the city-township line, someone Sunday or Monday tried to break into another house, said Butler Township Police.
The unknown suspect or suspects attempted to pry open the back door and a window, but were unsuccessful.
Butler police said a neighbor about 9:15 p.m. Saturday discovered the other break-in on Summit Street, Adam said. A .40-caliber Glock pistol and a cell phone were stolen.
The home's front doorknob was smashed and the door appeared to have been pried open, police said.
The coffee table drawer was opened in the living room and items left scattered on the floor. In the master bedroom, police said, dresser drawers were pulled open and clothing was disturbed.
The owner said the gun was in a closet that had a deadbolt lock, which had been pried open.
A Samsung cell phone also was taken from the home.
Adam said police Sunday recovered a stolen phone from an apartment on North Elm Street. Officers had gone to the apartment, which was vacant, following a call for suspicious activity there.
They arrested a man, David Eberhardt, 26, of Butler at the apartment. Eberhardt had arrest warrants from Armstrong and Indiana counties and already was a suspect in at least one burglary in the city. He allegedly had the Samsung phone stolen from Summit Street on his person.
Adam said charges are pending against Eberhardt and could include trespassing and receiving stolen property.
In an interview with police, Eberhardt said he and another man had broken into the Summit Street house using a hammer and took a gun and a spare magazine, according to a search warrant affidavit filed by city police. He allegedly admitted to later exchanging that gun for $70 worth of crack cocaine at the West Penn Street house.
Adam said the stolen Glock was recovered around 2 p.m. Monday when police, with assistance from Butler County Team 200 and state police, executed a search warrant at a house on South Street after learning that the stolen gun was inside.
Officers breached the door, used a flashbang and took three men and a woman into custody to be questioned. Their names were not immediately available.
Officers stayed on the scene for about an hour and removed other evidence from the house, though Adam declined to comment Monday afternoon on what else was found there.
Police said their investigation continues.
