Serial Burglar Rammed Businesses With Truck In 4 Counties In Philly Region: PD

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA — A 56-year-old township man has been caught after police said he committed burglaries throughout four counties in the Philadelphia region by using his truck to ram the front entrances of businesses.

Bensalem Police charged Richard Sturts with burglary, criminal trespass, and related offenses. He was sent to Bucks County Prison after bail was set at 10 percent of $150,000.

Additional charges are expected from other police departments, authorities said.

Police responded to Bob Nolan’s Auto Service on Bristol Pike earlier this month for an overnight burglary in which a dark Chevy Silverado pickup truck pulled into the front parking lot. The Silverado rammed the front glass door multiple times, shattering the glass.

Sturts exited the truck, crawled through the bottom of the broken glass door, and stole the cash register, police said.

Police said this similar burglary was committed at locations in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester counties. In those cases, the exact style of vehicle was used to ram the glass doors at the targeted businesses.

Police found two outstanding arrest warrants for Sturts: The Warrington Township Police Department issued one arrest warrant for fleeing and eluding, and the Bucks County Probation and Parole Department issued another.

Bensalem Detectives entered the Chevrolet Silverado's license plate into an Automated License Plate Reader system to be alerted when the vehicle traveled through Bensalem.

On Thursday, Bensalem Police were alerted that the Chevrolet Silverado was being operated within the township.

Police found the vehicle unoccupied in the area of the Cornwells Train Station Park and Ride near Station Avenue. Sturts was located on foot in the area and was taken into custody for the two outstanding arrest warrants.

Sturts was taken to police headquarters, where he told detectives that he drove the Chevy Silverado pick-up truck that was captured on surveillance during the burglary at Bob Nolan’s Auto Service and other burglarized businesses in the region.