BERKS COUNTY, Pa.- Four people are in custody after authorities say they stole skill game machines and money from several businesses over the last few weeks.
Berks County District Attorney John Adams says the first of these skill game burglaries committed by this ring happened in late August at the Kwik Stop in Wyomissing.
Adams says following the first incident, for the next month the suspects went on a spree around the county, including places in Reading, Fleetwood and Shillington.
“In some of these cases, they stole the actual skill machine from the business; in other locations, they broke into the machine and just stole the money,” says Adams.
According to court paperwork, Daniel Velez was identified as the ringleader who organized the locations where the burglaries were to take place, acted as a lookout, and paid the individuals to commit the burglaries.
Authorities say Tytoya Rowles was apparently provided drugs and money for the use of her car so she would act as a lookout, and Adonis Orta Rivera and Luis Miranda entered the stores and committed the burglaries.
“We believe that they were; some of them were in the locations to play the skill machines before they then broke into the locations to steal either the skill machines or the proceeds,” says Adams.
The DA says a task force made up of law enforcement from various departments and agencies around the county did a lot of surveillance and ultimately ended up catching the thieves in the act.
“Casinos have loads of security,” says Adams.
“The convenience stores, the gas stations throughout the state, they don’t have the same security. As a result, skill machines and the money that are in them have become a target for criminals,” he added.