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Editor’s Comments: Striking a balance between clicks and civics

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‘It’s the language of romance’

<p>DURYEA &#8212; Two men were arrested on Saturday for allegedly stealing copper wire and scrap metal from a railroad yard in the borough on Saturday.</p><p>Stephen Jospeh Mihalick, 34, of Williamstown, and Corey Todd Umberger, 29, of Lykens, were arrested by a borough officer and an officer from the Reading &amp; Northern Railroad Police after they allegedly used bolt and metal clippers to steal scrap metal and copper wires.</p><p>According to the criminal complaint:</p><p>An officer observed a parked car on Coxton Road near the Falling Springs Reservoir on Feb. 2.</p><p>Due to prior experiences, the officer became suspicious because the car was parked in an area where people have been arrested for destruction of railroad property since the area is near a train yard.</p><p>The officer checked the blue GMC station wagon and saw it was registered in Dauphin County.</p><p>The borough officer followed fresh footprints and sled marks made in the snow, leading him to the train yard prompting him to call an officer from the railroad police.</p><p>Railroad police Officer Matthew Fredmonski responded to the area and opened a locked gate granting him access to the train yard.</p><p>The prints in the snow led Fredmonski to an abandoned maintenance building, finding fresh footprints near a broken window.</p><p>Officers did not find anyone in the building.</p><p>When leaving the rail yard, officers observed the blue GMC station wagon with a trailer in tow, driving down Coxton Road without the headlights on, prompting officers to conduct a traffic stop.</p><p>The driver, identified as Mihalick, and passenger, identified as Umberger, were told they were trespassing and asked what they were doing.</p><p>Both men were removed from the vehicle after officer observed ammunition boxes in the passenger door.</p><p>When Umberger got out of the passenger door, officers found a large set of yellow bolt cutters and large amount of bound zip ties laying on the passenger floor.</p><p>Both were issued Miranda warnings, and they admitted they were on the railroad property to steal scrap metal and copper wires.</p><p>While in police custody, Mihalick complained of breathing issues and that he was unable to swallow. EMS came to the Duryea Police station and evaluated him.</p><p>A search of Mihalick&#8217;s vehicle produced two backpacks. One contained cutting tools, including a pipe cutter and an electric saw. The other bag had a large quantity of zip ties, flashlights and batteries.</p><p>Officers found two sleds nearly 200 feet away from the tracks containing cut copper wires, cutting and binding tools, a metal folding ladder, circular cutting blades and assorted copper pipes.</p><p>Mihalick and Umberger admitted to stealing the property and causing damage to the maintenance building while at the Duryea Police Station.</p><p>Mihalick and Umberger were each arraigned on Sunday by District Judge Michael G. Dotzel on criminal trespassing, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct charges.</p><p>Bail was set at $1,000 each, which they were able to post through a professional bail bondsman.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>dstokes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dan Stokes at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @ByDanStokes</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Two charged with copper theft at Duryea rail yard