LANCASTER — A Lancaster man was charged this week in two separate package theft investigations, according to police.
The first occurred on December 5 in the 300 block of North Queen Street. Witnesses told police they saw a man, later identified as 45-year-old Nigel Dews, loitering outside of a business before entering the vestibule area of a building and leaving with multiple packages.
Police say one witness followed Dews to the 300 block of North Duke Street and asked him if the packages belonged to him. The witness took the packages, some of which had been opened and emptied, and contacted police after returning to the building.
Police contacted the property manager and obtained surveillance video from the building, which showed Dews entering the vestibule, walking through several floors of the building and attempting to open doors before returning to the vestibule to allegedly take a number of packages.
Dews was identified as a suspect and charged with burglary and theft by unlawful taking. A warrant was also issued for his arrest.
Five days later, police located Dews in the 100 block of East Lemon Street after he had just allegedly stolen a package. In this incident, he was charged with theft by unlawful taking.
Dews was committed to Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail.
