Home » HTPD reports theft, fraud, and a dump truck fire

HTPD reports theft, fraud, and a dump truck fire

by Mary Galioto

The following is based on information provided by the Hopewell Township Police Department, which services Hopewell Township, including Titusville, and Hopewell Borough:

Airline tickets points hacked
On August 22, Officer Christopher Vaccarino met with the victim of fraud at Hopewell Township Police Department (HTPD) headquarters. The victim stated that their American Airlines account was hacked and 93,000 points were used to purchase airline tickets on the victim’s account. The total dollar value of the points used was $2,743.50. The investigation is ongoing. 

Co-worker accused of stealing AirPods in Titusville
On August 22, Officer Vaccarino met with the victim of theft in the HTPD lobby. The victim reported that they work at a Church Road address in Hopewell Township, and while at work, their apple airpods were stolen. The victim reported that on August 14, he noticed his apple airpods were missing and believed a co-worker stole them. Information regarding the GPS data of the airpods as well as the suspected party involved were provided to Officer Vaccarino. The investigation is active and ongoing. 

Wallet stolen from Titusville vehicle 
On August 24, Officer Blake DeMeter responded to a Grant Street address in Titusville for a reported burglary and theft from a vehicle. The victim reported that their wallet was stolen from inside the vehicle between 9pm on August 22 and 10am on August 23. No other items were taken from the vehicle. Note: numerous vehicles were entered during this timeframe in the same area, however most vehicles were not missing any items. The investigation is ongoing. 

Dump truck fire extinguished on Diverty Road
On August 23, Officer Jonathan Pauciullo along with numerous police officers and fire personnel responded to the area of Diverty Road for a report vehicle fire. Upon arrival officers found a dump truck on fire in the roadway. The truck was a work vehicle used for road construction on this roadway. Fire personnel was able to contain and extinguish the fire. Further investigation did not reveal any suspected foul play or criminal activity. 

20K stolen from savings account
On August 24, Officer Demeter met with the victim of fraud / theft at HTPD headquarters. The victim reporters that $20,000 was stolen from their savings account. Fortunately, Bank of America was able to recover the funds prior to the transfer being completed. The investigation is ongoing. 

Nine knives stolen
On August 24, Officer Demeter responded to HTPD headquarters for a report of theft. The victim reported that nine (9) knives were stolen out of the victim’s storage container. The victim noted that a “junk cleaning” service was at the storage container on 8/9/2023, as they were hired for removal of unneeded items. The victim stated that after services were rendered, he found the knives were missing. The total value of the knives were reported as $750. The investigation is ongoing.

THC e-cigarettes stolen from Lukoil
On August 26, Officer Landon Zagacki responded to the Lukoil gas station at the Pennington Circle for a report shoplifting. The owner advised that on August 25, a male party entered the store and stole a clear container filled with THC cigarettes. The total value of the items stolen was reported as $340.80. Surveillance video of the incident was later forwarded to Officer Zagacki. The investigation is ongoing.  

Numerous car break-ins in Titusville
Numerous cars were broken into over the weekend of August 26 and 27. It was previously reported here.

Personal electronics stolen from hospital patient at Capital Health
On August 28, Officer Mandy Grey responded to Capital Health – Hopewell Campus for a reported theft. The victim reported that their iPad and Apple pencil were stolen from inside their hospital room. The theft is believed to have occurred on August 23, 2023 during their stay at the hospital. The estimated total value of the items stolen was reported as $749.99. The investigation is ongoing. 

Tech help scam defrauds resident of nearly $500
On August 30, Officer Paul Alvaro responded to an East Prospect Street address in Hopewell Borough for a reported fraud. The victim reported that $499.99 was charged to their Wells Fargo account by someone impersonating Best Buy’s Geek Squad. The victim reported that he received an email from what he thought was from a legitimate source (Geek Squad). The victim was in contact and provided their Wells Fargo debit card number for payment of service. It was later discovered that this was not a legitimate source and the transaction was fraudulent. Wells Fargo was made aware of the fraud and the investigation is ongoing. 

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