According to court records, Douglas Ahner, 44, of Pottsville, was charged by St. Clair Police Department in connection with a reported burglary at Tractor Supply in St. Clair.
Police were dispatched to the store at approximately 4:29 a.m. on December 11, 2025, for a business burglar alarm. The alarm activation was identified as a security cable break—an alert officers say is commonly associated with thefts involving large equipment.
Upon arrival, an officer observed that a steel security cable securing equipment at the front of the store had been cut and that a piece of equipment was missing from the display area. While checking the exterior of the property, police located a brand-new motorcycle positioned near the rear wall of the building. Lying across the motorcycle was a pair of Hyper Tough bolt cutters. Officers noted yellow paint and plastic residue on the cutters’ blades, consistent with the yellow security cable that had been severed at the front of the store.
Investigators also observed snow fragments and tracks leading from the motorcycle to a nearby commercial dumpster. Upon checking the dumpster, officers discovered an individual partially concealed inside, wearing a ski mask. The suspect complied with commands to exit the dumpster and was identified as Ahner.
Police say that while being taken into custody, Ahner made spontaneous statements indicating he had taken the motorcycle so his children would have a Christmas present.
During a subsequent search, Ahner allegedly made additional voluntary statements advising officers that he was in possession of a glass pipe, methamphetamine, and Suboxone inside a bag he was wearing. Police report locating a green container with two small baggies of suspected methamphetamine, two orange six-sided pills marked “N8” believed to be Suboxone, and a clear glass smoking pipe with burn residue consistent with drug use.
As a result of the investigation, Ahner was charged with the following offenses stemming from December 13, 2025:
- Felony 3 – Theft by Unlawful Taking (Movable Property)
- Felony 3 – Receiving Stolen Property
- Misdemeanor 1 – Possession of Instrument of Crime with Intent
- Misdemeanor 1 – Retail Theft
- Three counts, Misdemeanor – Intentional Possession of a Controlled Substance by a Person Not Registered
- Misdemeanor – Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Summary Offense – Criminal Mischief (Damage to Property)