Man caught on camera stealing trail cam along Schuylkill River Trail, police say
Exeter Township police arrested a Reading man after they said he was caught on video stealing a trail camera on private property along the Schuylkill River Trail near Birdsboro.
Scott A. Zeiber, 50, was confronted on the trail in the area along Bridge Street near Center Road by the camera’s owner who received a movement notification from the camera on his smartphone about 10 a.m. Thursday, police said in a criminal complaint.
According to investigators:
The camera owner called 911 to report a theft in progress. Officer Anthony Pendell responded and the owner showed him still images from the trail camera of the suspect.
The victim said he believed the suspect was still in the area between Bridge Street and Lincoln Road, and believed he was in a white Jeep Cherokee. Another officer found a white Jeep in the parking lot of a business off Lincoln Road and made contact with Zeiber.
When police opened Zeiber’s backpack, they found trail-camera accessories including a battery pack, antenna and cord. They did not recover the trail camera.
Zeiber was taken into custody without incident.
He remained free to await a hearing following arraignment before District Judge Steven M. Chieffo in Reading Central Court.
Zeiber of the 1000 block of South Ninth Street faces charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
It was the second reported theft this week of a trail camera along the Schuylkill River Trail in eastern Berks.
On Monday morning, Amity Township police arrested a homeless man they said stole a trail camera, wooden ladder and utility trailer from a private property near Morlatton Village, 31 Old Philadelphia Pike, near Douglassville.
Police located the suspect, Eric R. Erney, 39, just west of the property after the camera’s owner called 911 upon receiving notification from the device of a theft in progress. Erney was walking a bicycle along with the stolen utility trail and wooden ladder when he was stopped. He handed an officer the trail camera that was in his pocket.
Erney said he found the items in the woods off the trail and was going to donate them. The owner, however, said the items were surrounded by a chain and “no trespassing” signs.
Erney was charged with theft and defiant trespassing and committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $5,000 bail following arraignment before Chieffo. He had not posted bail as of Friday, according to court records.
Police say property owners along the recreation trail are allowed to install cameras within their property and do so for various reasons, such as keeping an eye on wildlife and deterring trespassers.