Robert J. Santillo, 66, of Palo Alto, was charged by St. Clair Police with felony burglary, criminal trespass, theft by unlawful taking, and receiving stolen property stemming from an incident reported on January 3, 2026.
According to court documents, St. Clair Police were dispatched at approximately 11:08 a.m. to 46 East Bacon Street after a property owner reported a breaking and entering in progress. The caller told police that he observed an individual inside his apartment through a live camera feed.
Upon arrival, officers met with two men, who stated they received alerts from their camera system showing Santillo inside the residence. They provided still images of Santillo inside the apartment and identified him by a visible tattoo behind his ear.
Court records state that Santillo lived in a downstairs apartment and served as the maintenance person for the property, giving him access to keys. The victim told police he never gave Santillo permission to enter his apartment and believed entry was made through a rear door. He also reported that Santillo had been captured on camera inside the apartment on December 31, 2025, and provided additional images from that date.
Police later spoke with Santillo at his residence, where he initially denied being inside the apartment. While speaking with Santillo present, the victim informed officers that he discovered six oxycodone pills missing from a prescription bottle, which previously contained six pills the night before and now contained only two. Investigators were provided photographs showing Santillo standing at a table where the prescription bottle had been located.
Santillo was taken into custody and transported to the police station, where he was advised of his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with officers. He told police he entered the apartment after hearing a smoke detector sounding and claimed no knowledge of the missing medication.
The property owner, was contacted by police and stated that Santillo served as his local representative for the apartments while he lived out of state. The property owner told police he had repeatedly instructed Santillo not to enter any apartments.
Charges were filed at the request of the victim based on the information gathered during the investigation.
Santillo was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker and committed to Schuylkill County Prison on $25,000 straight cash bail. He remains incarcerated, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for January 13, 2026.