Philadelphia police caught two suspected burglars lying down on the job after they allegedly broke into a Somerton department store on Dec. 17 and tripped off a silent alarm.
The ill-fated crime occurred at Target, 11000 Roosevelt Blvd. Daniel Bethea and Daniel McMillan Jr. allegedly used a cordless saw and grinding tool to cut through a rear fire door and enter the store at about 1:15 a.m. A store security guard was monitoring live video surveillance feeds from inside the store and saw the suspects grabbing merchandise from the electronics department, police said.
Police units from the 7th district, SWAT and K-9 units were among those to respond to the scene. They determined that the intruders had gained access to the roof. A fire department engine company arrived at the scene to help in the search for the burglars. Police found the suspects at about 5 a.m. lying on top of one-another inside a ventilation unit.
Bethea, 36, of the 1900 block of W. Oxford St. in North Philly, had a backpack containing a flashlight, the cutting/grinding tool and a portable walkie-talkie, said police, who identified McMillan as a 38-year-old resident of the 6200 block of Homer St. in Germantown. Both men are suspects in numerous similar and recent Target burglaries in Chester, Montgomery and Bucks counties.
McMillan and Bethea are charged with burglary, trespassing, conspiracy and related crimes. ••
