Man living in Harmar garage accused of breaking into construction company, stealing items

Harmar police accused a man who was living with a woman in a garage without plumbing or heat of stealing tools, collectibles and coins from a construction company so they could buy drugs.

Michael Daniel Gerhard, 34, told police he was homeless when he was arrested on a felony charge of receiving stolen property along with two counts of drug possession.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 10 before District Judge David Sosovicka.

After charges were filed, Gerhard was taken to the Allegheny County Jail on a warrant issued when he had failed to show up for a trial in February. That trial was for a misdemeanor theft charge filed in December 2022 by Frazer police, according to court records.

Police also charged Christine Clark, 37, who was living in the garage with Gerhard, with two counts of drug possession.

Clark was turned over to Westmoreland County authorities after being taken into custody. A warrant was issued for her arrest after she failed to appear for a preliminary hearing on drug charges filed by Arnold police in May, according to court records.

The pair were charged in connection with a burglary at a construction company in the 400 block of Meadow Street, according to a criminal complaint.

Police were called to the business June 18 by an employee who told investigators that a man he caught trespassing on the property ran into the woods when he was confronted, the complaint said.

Officers found several toolboxes, a leaf blower, a scooter and a plastic tote bag filled with antiques, coins and collectibles behind a storage trailer on the company’s property, the complaint said. The stolen items were valued at a little more than $2,000.

The following day, township police Chief Jason Domaratz reported seeing a man in the 300 block of Meadow Street who ran behind a house after spotting his police cruiser, investigators said.

Police went to the house, where the owner told them Gerhard and Clark had been living in the garage for about a month and he had spent the past week trying to get them to leave, the complaint said.

While speaking with officers, the woman said Gerhard mentioned getting some coins from his mother, according to the complaint.

The woman gave police permission to search the garage, where they found a large quantity of coins spread across the floor, the complaint said.

Police said they also found numerous empty heroin stamp bags, a glass meth pipe and other drug paraphernalia.

Several hours later, police went back to the garage after learning that Gerhard and Clark had returned, the complaint said.

One of the officers who surrounded the house said he looked in a window to make sure nobody was waiting inside to ambush police and saw Gerhard and Clark sitting next to a coffee table snorting a white powder.

According to his arrest papers, Gerhard told Clark that he found the coins in the woods while searching for their cats.