Squirrel Hill man pleads guilty to burglaries

A Squirrel Hill man charged in a string of burglaries and thefts targeting cash, jewels, Judaica and other pieces of historical and personal value pleaded guilty to some of the cases against him, although a judge denied his request to be released to house arrest pending the resolution of the other three cases against him.

Andrew Clinton, 21, appeared Tuesday in front of Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Anthony Mariani and pleaded guilty to charges in four of the seven cases pending against him.

All told, he pleaded to seven counts of theft, four counts of burglary and one count each of attempted burglary and receiving payment for home improvement work he never performed.

In exchange, prosecutors withdrew nine counts of receiving stolen property and criminal mischief. There was no agreement as to sentencing, which is set for May 17.

As Judge Mariani read off the charges prior to the plea agreement, he turned to Clinton’s defense attorney, Joseph Pometto, and quipped: “Your client is going to need to live 400 years, counselor.”

The cases in which Clinton pleaded guilty Tuesday stem from a series of burglaries in 2021 and 2022.

That string thefts culminated in Clinton’s arrest in April 2022 when his car got stuck in the mud in Fox Chapel early one morning.

A police officer responded and noted that Clinton’s license was damaged. He said he used it to break into his own home when he locked himself out.

About an hour before police found Clinton stuck in the mud, a Ring doorbell camera at a burglarized home caught someone wearing a distinct pair of shoes and jacket.

That burglary was ultimately linked to similar burglaries in O’Hara, and when investigators staked out Clinton’s home, they saw him wearing the same distinctive shoes and jacket. Search warrants later turned up hundreds of religious relics, books, portraits and other Judaica.

“I just want to apologize to you and the victims and my family for letting everybody down,” Clinton said.

Mr. Pometto, the defense attorney, had argued for his client to be released on either house arrest or to Renewal, a secure treatment facility. He noted that Clinton had taken responsibility for the charges against him and would do well in a structured environment. He said he had been working in the kitchen of the Allegheny County Jail and, if released to his home, he could work for his father, who was in the courtroom Tuesday.

Prosecutors argued against that release, noting that the last time Clinton was released on bail, he allegedly committed more burglaries.

Indeed, Clinton was charged again in December when he was allegedly caught on surveillance camera burglarizing a neighbor’s home in Squirrel Hill. Confronted with that footage, investigators wrote in the charges against him, Clinton admitted to breaking into that particular house three times.

He also confessed to a number of other burglaries in the neighborhood, telling investigators of three break- ins and attempted break-ins he had tried over the preceding weeks. During thos e break- ins, he allegedly took jewelry, clothing and shoes.

In front of Judge Mariani, Clinton acknowledged what he called compulsions and impulse control that he said he was working through with a therapist.

He said therapy helped him realize the mental toll his crimes could have on victims and how they could be left feeling violated.

“I feel very bad about that,” he said, noting he is taking medication for bipolar disorder. He also claimed he was in the midst of a manic episode when he allegedly broke into homes while out on bail.

Judge Mariani said that without any expert testimony about Clinton’s assertion that his mental health played a role in his alleged crimes, he couldn’t take his word for it.

“When you were given freedom … you went back to the conduct that risked your freedom in the first place,” he said.

In the three remaining cases against him, Clinton is charged with attempted burglary, burglary, theft and criminal trespass.

A pre-trial conference in those cases is scheduled for March 3, also in front of Judge Mariani.