Trio arrested after week-long, drug-fueled crime spree in Westmoreland Co., police say

WESTMORELAND CO., Pa. — Two men and a woman are charged in connection with a burglary spree in Westmoreland County.

The accused burglars hit businesses and churches in Ligonier, and police are still trying to find all of the victims.

Police said the trio led them on a week-long, drug-fueled crime spree, but the case was cracked open thanks to neighbors calling in complaints about drug trafficking at an apartment on East Church Street.

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“As we hit the house with the search warrant, we found lots of drugs, but we also found a lot of things stolen in the burglaries,” said Ligonier Valley Police Chief John Berger.

The two people living at that house – Hunter Firchko and Madison Kuncher – were arrested, but police said the burglaries didn’t stop.

Investigators found out that thousands of dollars in gift cards were stolen from Heritage United Methodist Church. They were able to trace it back to the same suspects after they allegedly used them at the GetGo just a block away from the church.

But a third suspect was still on the run.

Police said Joseph Minno was essentially the ringleader, seen on surveillance video behind a handful of burglaries.

Officers found him within two days hiding inside a business on Main Street and surrounded by stolen goods and cash.

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