Moon Twp. Police Nab Suspected Drug Thief

MOON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Moon Township Police had a puzzling burglary case on their hands when prescription medication started disappearing from two units in a local apartment complex.

Waterford Landing Apartments is a beautiful, gated community in Moon Township, but two residents were having a problem.

"They would leave and come back, and their medication would be missing, and there was no sign of forced entry," said Chief Leo McCarthy, of the Moon Township Police Department.

With one victim's permission, detectives set up a hidden camera in her apartment.

Yet that plan failed when the woman forgot to plug the camera in when she left her home. So, it was on to plan B, plainclothes cops waited in the unit when she left.

"After about an hour and 53 minutes, our detectives hear a very faint knock on the door," said Chief McCarthy.

But it was more than an innocent knock. Authorities say a man who had recently been fired by the apartment complex came in and stole some of her drugs.

"The door suddenly swung open. There came this former maintenance man creeping into the building, reached over, picked up the woman's medication," said Chief McCarthy. "Right then, my detectives run out, grab him at gunpoint and force him to the floor."

The suspect is identified as 57-year-old Richard Jugovich, who despite being terminated by Waterford Landing Apartments weeks earlier, still lives in the complex.

He had been interviewed by detectives after complaints of Vicodin being stolen from two residents.

Chief McCarthy knows it is obviously a relief for the victims.

"The woman was counting her pills. She would arrange them on her desktop in such a way that if someone touched them, she would know it," he added. "So this, you can imagine, your privacy being invaded like this, an unknown person is coming in your house and taking your medication, that is tremendous trauma."

Moon Township Police pointed to the cooperation of Waterford Landing in assisting their investigation.

"To know this is not going to happen again, to know we got the right guy, I mean, there's just no question we got the right guy," Chief McCarthy said.

Jugovich was released from jail without bond Thursday morning. However, he is set to appear in court on Tuesday.

He faces nine felony counts and six misdemeanors for entering the apartments and stealing the drugs.

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