Police: Upper Gwynedd Man Had List of Items to Steal

An Upper Gwynedd man who was caught allegedly burglarizing an unfinished development on Towamencin Avenue in Towamencin, and allegedly had a list of items to take from the development in his pocket, heads to Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas arraignment.

Peruvian national Claudio Antonio Anlas, 50, of the 1100 block of Bloomfield Circle, Upper Gwynedd, is facing a felony count of burglary, a felony count of criminal trespassing and a misdemeanor count of theft following his January arrest, according to court records. All charges were held over for trial following his preliminary hearing last week in Lansdale District Court.

On Jan. 19, 2013, at 9:53 p.m., Towamencin Township Police Officer Matthew Mahaffey was on patrol on Towamencin Avenue, when he noticed a green 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage parked next to the Manor Building of the Residences at Town Square community, according to the affidavit.

Mahaffey said he found the vehicle suspicious because the community was still under construction and he did not recognize it from prior checks of the property, according to the affidavit. The vehicle was unoccupied and its lights were off.

Mahaffey pulled behind the car, and then noticed a male subject in the area of a partially-open doorway on the outside of the building, according to the complaint. It was obvious that the man, identified as Anlas, just exited out of the open door, according to the affidavit.

Police made contact with Anlas, who was allegedly anxiously indicated that he had stopped to urinate, police said. Anlas quickly entered his car and allegedly attempted to drive away, police said.

Because of the open door and late hour, Mahaffey believed further criminal activity was afoot, according to the complaint. Anlas was stopped in his car and asked to exit, police said.

Mahaffey asked Anlas' consent to search him, which Anlas granted, police said. A small flashlight was found in Anlas' jacket pocket, police said.

Police also located a piece of paper in one of Anlas' rear pockets, police said. Closer inspection of the paper showed a list of construction supplies, including "1 1/4 drywall screw" and "6 tube glue," according to the affidavit. A drywall screw was also found in one of his jacket pockets, police said.

Anlas allegedly admitted he had entered the building and that he had looked down the building hallway, about 25 feet from the entrance, according to the complaint. He allegedly told police he only moved to the exit of the building when he saw the patrol car outside, police said.

Mahaffey checked the door that Anlas allegedly exited from, and saw a green and yellow box sitting outside of the door on the entryway, police said. The box contained a five tubes of Osi brand F-38 drywall adhesive, screws and nails, police said.

Mahaffey also located a second box of 11 drywall adhesive tubes immediately within the open door, police said. Mahaffey wrote in the affidavit that the presence of the boxes seemed suspicious and out of place for the building entrance, and believed Anlas was attempting to steal supplies from teh site.

Mahaffey's belief was corraborated by the fact that the boxes contained items allegedly written on Anlas' list, police said.

Police said Anlas allegedly unlawfully entered the building knowing he was not licensed or privileged to do so. Anlas' possession of a flashlight and a list of supplies led Mahaffey to conclude that Anlas had entered the building with the intent of committing theft, police said.

Police said the drywall screw allegedly found in Anlas' pocket was the same type found within the box in the entryway, as well as within the box located toward the rear of the entered apartment. 

Mahaffey entered the two boxes of adhesive tubes, nails and screws, and the paper, flashlight and drywall nail into evidence, according to the complaint.