CLARION BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) — A Sligo woman is behind bars after she allegedly broke into an apartment and stole a guitar in Clarion Borough.
According to court documents, the Clarion Borough Police Department filed the following criminal charges against 23-year-old Hope Ann Piper on July 25:
– Burglary — Overnight Accommodations; Person Present, Bodily Injury Crime, Felony 1
– Criminal Trespass-Enter Structure, Felony 3
– Theft By Unlawful Taking-Movable Property, Misdemeanor 1
– Receiving Stolen Property, Misdemeanor 1
According to a criminal complaint, around 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, a known woman reported that sometime between July 8 and July 10, Hope Piper entered her apartment and took an Ibanez AEB 12-string acoustic/electric DVS guitar, valued at $290.00, that she was holding for a known man.
The victim reported that she had allowed Piper to stay at her residence; however, she told her to move out at the end of June. She added that she hadn’t given Piper permission to re-enter the apartment.
The complaint states that Officer Scheckler, of the Clarion Borough Police Department, also spoke to the owner of the guitar, who estimated the value of the guitar and case together to be around $600.00; he gave Officer Scheckler the name of the business where it had been purchased. Officer Scheckler then contacted the business and was provided with an invoice showing the value of the guitar was $290.00 before taxes.
On July 16, the victim reported that another known man was now in possession of the guitar. The man had received it from Piper as collateral for $100.00 cash that he had lent to her. Officer Scheckler contacted the man, who stated he didn’t know the guitar was stolen and offered to bring it to the police station.
According to the complaint, the man brought the guitar to the station and told police that Piper contacted him and asked to borrow $100.00 and offered the guitar as collateral. He said they met at a known woman’s house in Clarion. Officer Scheckler then contacted the known woman, who said that Piper informed her she had broken into the victim’s apartment and taken the guitar.
Around 7:10 p.m. on July 17, Piper reported to the Clarion Borough Police Department for an interview.
According to the complaint, after being informed of her Miranda warnings, Piper stated she did not steal the guitar or trespass in the victim’s apartment. She said she had lived there for several months and went to get her belongings and to take the guitar to sell it to get money to pay for the guitar owner’s bail.
The complaint noted that Piper also said the victim was involved from the beginning and went on to say that she used to guitar as collateral for $60.00 cash she borrowed from the second known man.
According to the complaint, the victim was questioned a second time and again said the guitar was stolen. The second known man was also interviewed again and stated that he gave Piper $100.00, not $60.00.
Piper was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Duane L. Quinn at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13.
Unable to post $2,500.00 monetary bail, she was lodged in the Clarion County Jail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 3, with Judge Quinn presiding.
