Former Employee Charged with Burglarizing McCandless Auto Shop

A new video surveillance system installed at Falcon Auto Sales / Northern Autobody paid off immediately in mid-August when it filmed a former employee stealing about $2,000 in equipment from the McCandless businesses, according to court testimony.

Christopher Prince, 41, of Pittsburgh, is charged with felony charges of burglary, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy.

Prince was ordered to stand trial Wednesday when he appeared before Magisterial District Judge William K. Wagner. He is in the Allegheny County Jail with bond set at $20,000.

Video surveillance showed two men in the building during after-work hours, with the one identified as Prince carrying a laptop computer, according to testimony. The second man has not been identified.

Raymond Ott, owner of Northern Autobody at 9325 Perry Highway, testified that he discovered a welder, torches and a laptop computer were missing when he came to work on Monday, Aug. 15.

Northern Autobody shares space with Falcon Auto Sales in the Perry Highway building.

Falcon Auto Sales owner William Cahill testified that he recognized Prince in the video and that Prince was wearing the same clothes he wore earlier in the day when he stopped by the shop.

Jodi Marchese, who helps Cahill with the business, testified that she not only recognized Prince from a side view of his face, but also from his walk.

"I knew exactly who it was," she testified. "He had a certain stroll." 

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