Police apprehend Indiana County man charged in alleged Black Friday crime spree
State police Tuesday apprehended an Indiana County man accused of stealing a pickup truck from one home and a rifle from a second before allegedly attempting a break-in and armed robbery at two other homes.
David P. Dilts Jr., 36, of Penn Run, wanted on more than 30 charges related to the alleged Friday crime spree, was taken into custody without incident just before 1:30 p.m. in White Township, Indiana County. Police said troopers, acting on a tip, spotted him walking in the area of Twolick Drive.
Dilts is charged with felony counts of burglary, attempted robbery, theft, receiving stolen property and trespassing. Lesser charges of simple assault, reckless endangerment, unauthorized use of a vehicle, reckless driving and criminal mischief also were filed by police before District Judge Jennifer Rega in Blairsville.
Police said Dilts went into a home along Main Street in Conemaugh Township, Indiana County, and stole the keys to an unattended Nissan Frontier and then drove off in the truck.
He also is accused of stealing a .22-caliber rifle from a residence along Short Lane in adjacent Young Township, Indiana County, after struggling with a woman who owns the rifle. The woman told police she had returned home just before 3:15 p.m. to find Dilts walking out of the residence with the gun.
After that, according to police, Dilts drove to another home in the township and used the gun in an attempted break-in before 3:30 p.m. A woman who was at the Iselin Road residence told police that Dilts broke a window in a rear door and stuck the gun barrel inside the shattered window. Dilts fled after a man inside who was armed with a pistol warned Dilts he would be shot if he entered the residence, police said.
After allegedly crashing the truck at Gamble and German Lutheran Cemetery roads in West Wheatfield Township, Indiana County, Dilts attempted to rob a man who was walking his dog outside a residence on Roy Boring Road, police said. According to police, Dilts demanded a vehicle parked at the home while pointing the stolen rifle at the victim, who disarmed Dilts and threw him to the ground.
Dilts fled on foot, leaving the rifle behind, police said.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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