The Express-Times reports that the uncle – nephew pair who were charged in Palmer with stealing everything they could get their hands on from unlocked cars and garages are now charged with the same in Nazareth (read the article here).
Police said the number of incidents was so significant they couldn’t individually cite them. Upper Nazareth, Plainfield, Bath and other municipalities are also investigating the pair.
The police have refrained from using the term ‘breaking and entering’ because the two “only” stole from vehicles, garages, and sheds that were unlocked. Instead they use the term car-hopping.
The Express-Times, irresponsibly in my opinion, has suggested there is little sympathy for the victims because they failed to secure their vehicles and properties (read the article here).
When did stealing become okay? The notion that it’s okay if it’s not locked up is wrong. Why aren’t the police filing more serious charges?
According to US Legal Definitions (visit the site here), breaking and entering is:
Breaking and entering is the crime of entering a residence or other enclosed property without authorization and some element of force. If there is intent to commit a crime, this is burglary. Without an intent to commit a crime, breaking and entering by itself usually carries a charge of the crime of trespass.
Based on this they should be charged with roughly 50 counts of burglary in Nazareth alone. And one has to wonder, on how many other properties did these two go to find locked properties? And at what point would one of these car-hoppings have gone wrong with bad consequences to an innocent victim?
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