A nearly year-long investigation by Pottsville Police has resulted in charges against a city man for the theft of nearly $4,000 worth of music equipment from a storage unit.
According to police, on July 6, 2024, around 3:13 p.m., a man approached officers outside Ed’s USA at 303 North 12th Street to report that several items had been stolen from his storage locker inside the facility. The man told officers he had just arrived to check on his storage units when he noticed the lock on one had been tampered with and approximately 25 items were missing.
Upon inspecting the unit with the tenant, officers observed a damaged latch with its screws removed. Inside the unit, the man found a screwdriver that did not belong to him. The tool was collected as evidence and tested on the broken latch. Officers confirmed the screwdriver was capable of removing the latch screws.
In a follow-up meeting with police, the tenant provided a list of stolen items, mostly music equipment, with a total estimated value of $3,850. The screwdriver was submitted to the Pennsylvania State Police Forensic DNA Division for analysis.
Nearly 10 months later, Pottsville Police received the DNA test results, which identified a trace DNA profile on the screwdriver handle belonging to 53-year-old Hector Lopez. The tenant confirmed that Lopez was unfamiliar to him and had never been granted access to his storage unit.
On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, Pottsville Police requested a warrant for Lopez’s arrest. He is now charged with Burglary (Felony 2), Theft (Felony 3), Receiving Stolen Property (Felony 3), and Possessing Instruments of a Crime (Misdemeanor 1).
Lopez has been locked up in Schuylkill County Prison since November 19th, 2024 on unrelated charges and will be arraigned at a later date on the new charges by Magisterial District Judge Reiley.