Man Arrested After Allegedly Trying To Break Into Shadyside Jewelry Store By Climbing Through Air Ducts
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A man was arrested after allegedly robbing a Shadyside jewelry store.
Pittsburgh Police say a burglar alarm at Henne Jewelers on 5500 block of Walnut Street went off just after 5 a.m. Friday morning.
"Minutes, and there's multiple cars, multiple police officers," Henne Jewelers President John Henne said inside his store Friday.
"They have the whole scene covered."
When police arrived on scene, they say they found no signs of forced entry on the exterior of the building.
After being let inside, police say they found debris and "ceiling tile remnants" on a desk. The ceiling above was reportedly damaged and an open air duct was exposed.
Court papers said officers found a person in the air duct in the ceiling.
"They caught him almost instantly," Henne said.
Police say they climbed onto the roof where they saw a man hiding by the air conditioners and ventilation systems.
He wasn't armed but had a flashlight, crowbar and other tools officers see in burglaries. He was identified as 22-year-old Vincent Legrande.
Legrande told investigators he used the air duct to get into the Henne offices. After he broke through the ceiling, alarms went off and he tried to get away.
"Our alarm system is the best, and it triggers instantly if anybody attempts to get in or gets in, in any way," Henne said.
According to court papers, when police took Legrande away he yelled a store manager was going to be mad because he used to work there.
"I do feel sorry for the individual. Frankly, I hope he can turn his life around," Henne told KDKA.
He said Legrande worked in the shipping department for about four months last year before he stopped showing up for work and quit in January. According to Henne, Legrande made it nowhere near the jewelry store showroom.
"There is nothing that anybody can take. We put everything away at night in the vault. It's all locked and secured," he said.
It's not the first time someone has tried to rob Henne Jewelers.
In January, a burglar smashed through the front door, and finds there is nothing to steal as he goes through the showroom. He turns around and runs off.
WATCH: Surveillance Video Of January Robbery --
"In every instance. They have not gotten a thing," Henne said with a chuckle. "I don't understand why people continue to try, [because] there is nothing to ever get out of our store."
Officers have not arrested anyone from the January case yet.
Legrande wasn't so lucky, and he currently sits in the Allegheny County Jail on $5,000 bond.
He's facing several charges including burglary and criminal mischief.
