Whitehall Borough Police Briefs (March 21-April 4)

The believes that it has solved the case of an almost year-old string of burglaries at the .

Whitehall police Deputy Chief Richard M. Danko said that officer Brett Newbould, who has been with the department since January 2010, is mostly to thank for finding whom police believe is responsible for the burglaries. Danko also said that Sgt. Keith Henderson played a large role in assisting Newbould.

Newbould recently came across important information while he was investigating a separate incident. That new information allowed Whitehall police, on March 30, to close its investigation of the burglaries and to press charges against four young adults and one juvenile in connection to three break-ins at the South Hills Country Club from May to June, last year.

Anthony Joseph Velgich, 18, of 5220 Gerry Drive in , and Mark Benjamin Teahan, 18, of 5611 Sixth St. in Baldwin Borough, have both been charged with three counts each of burglary, criminal conspiracy, theft and criminal trespass in connection with all three incidents.

UPDATE: Velgich's and Teahan's .

In addition, Tyler Brandon Davis, 18, of 4796 Oakridge Drive in , has been charged with one count each of burglary, criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property in connection with one of the incidents.

UPDATE: Davis' .

Also, Ryan J. Balla, 18, of 4880 Elmwood Drive in Baldwin Borough, has been charged with one count of receiving stolen property.

Velgich, Teahan, Davis and Balla are all 2010 graduates of .

UPDATE: Balla was found .

A male juvenile, 17, has also been charged with one count each of criminal trespass, burglary and criminal conspiracy.

The aforementioned 18-year-old men and 17-year-old boy were of those ages at the times of the burglaries.

Danko said that, on May 1, multiple people broke into the South Hills Country Club's pro shop and stole cash, cigars, golf clubs and sunglasses totaling approximately $2,400 in combined value.

Danko said that the club itself was broken into on May 23 by multiple people who caused damage to doors, offices and desks, and stole cash and liquor.

Danko said that the next break-in at the club happened on June 9 when multiple people stole a safe with cash in it and did damage to windows and more doors and offices. The combined damage of the May 23 and June 9 incidents totaled $3,378.04 in value.

The club experienced losses totaling $6,868.10, including the thefts.

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In an unrelated incident, Whitehall police charged Robert Lee, 18, of 1030 Emery Drive in Baldwin Borough, with disorderly conduct-possession of drug paraphernalia on March 31. A Whitehall officer reported finding residue of marijuana on Lee upon tracking down him and his vehicle parked on Overlook Glen Drive in Whitehall that night at around 7:30.

Overlook Glen residents notified police of Lee's suspicious activity.

On April 1 at approximately 2:06 a.m. in another unrelated incident, a Whitehall police officer pulled over a vehicle on Route 51 for driving without its headlights on.

The officer detected an odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle and charged its driver – Mallory Anastasia Leitch, 22, of 1806 Parkline Drive in Whitehall (part of the  complex) – with suspicion of driving under the influence of alochol.

Leitch was transported to Jefferson Regional Medical Center for a blood test before then being turned over to the West Mifflin Borough Police Department due to being wanted in West Mifflin on retail theft and possession of marijuana charges.

Results of Leitch's blood test are pending.