PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A man accused of using his 7-year-old nephew in an attempted burglary was in court and some of the more serious charges were dropped.

There appears to be conflicting stories as to why William Gregory and the boy were in the house in the first place.

Police suspect criminal intent, but people who know Gregory say he had no intention of stealing anything when they went inside.

Gregory admits he went into a vacant house with his 7-year-old nephew, but the child’s mother claims they didn’t go in there to steal anything.

“My youngest son was in there [the day before] and he left his skateboard wheels and his washers in there,” she told KDKA-TV. “Will went down the next day to get them with my son and next thing I know, he’s being accused of trying to steal copper.”

The owner called police after he noticed the back door was kicked in and heard someone inside. When Gregory was startled by the owner, he hoisted the boy through a shattered window and they ran.

When police found them, Gregory had a gash on his arm and the boy had stitches from a previous accident. That made police suspicious, but the child’s mother says he received stitches at a hospital.

Police and the assistant DA agreed to drop burglary and theft charges, but Gregory is still charged with felony criminal trespass, criminal mischief and endangering the welfare of the child.

The judge drastically reduced Gregory’s bond and that means he could soon get out of jail.

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