DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — A man accused of breaking into a Tanger Outlets shop in Hershey with a sledgehammer has been arrested.
Timothy Root, 57, from Philadelphia, has been charged with burglary, theft by unlawful taking, possession of an instrument of crime with intent and criminal mischief- damaging property.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on March 5 around 6 a.m., officers responded to the Hershey Tanger Nike Outlet for a reported burglary. At the scene, officers noted that the glass door at the front of the store was smashed, clothing racks were disturbed and merchandise was stolen.
Managers with the store provided surveillance footage from inside the Nike and the parking lot of the Tanger Outlets. The footage allegedly showed a car pulling into a parking space adjacent to the store.
A person, later identified as Root, approached the store on foot and looked into the windows. He then allegedly returned to his car, moved it curbside, retrieved a sledgehammer and used it to break the glass on the bottom half of the store's front door.
Root reportedly made three trips into the store, each time carrying armfuls of clothing and apparel and loading them into the open trunk of his car.
According to the affidavit, Root then took the sledgehammer, re-entered his car and drove away with the stolen items.
On March 5, Nike owners reported a total loss of 165 units of merchandise, amounting to $7,348.61. The broken door also cost an estimated $2,164.70 to repair.
Additionally, a Calvin Klein store at the Tanger Outlets in East Lampeter Township reported an overnight burglary on March 2 and a GUESS outlet store in Glouchester Township, New Jersey reported another burglary on March 28. According to police, both burglaries involved the suspect smashing the front glass door and carrying out armfuls of merchandise.
On April 20, Root was pulled over in the area of the Tannersville Premium Outlets around 4:25 a.m. for a routine traffic stop. The officer allegedly noticed a duct-taped sledgehammer and black gloves inside Root's car.
As a result, Root was arrested. On July 3 his bail was set at $50,000 and he was confined to Dauphin County Prison.
