Man Could Be Serial Dollar Tree Burglar, Police Say

Written by Jack Tobias

A 42-year-old Allentown man has been charged with burglarizing the Dollar Tree on Stefko Boulevard, and court records suggest he may be involved in a series of Dollar Tree burglaries elsewhere in the Lehigh Valley and in Stroudsburg.

Richard Weatherspoon admitted to police that he pried open the front door of the Bethlehem store, drilled holes in the safe and used a saw to cut a larger hole, and escaped with about $1,000, the records say.

The records do not say Weatherspoon has been charged in the other Dollar Tree burglaries, which began Dec. 21, 2012 and have occurred in Allentown, Whitehall, Easton and Stroudsburg in addition to Bethlehem.

But they do say the way he allegedly carried out the Bethlehem burglary fits the pattern of the others.

In all of them, the goal was getting money out of the safe. And all of the safes were entered the same way, the records say – holes were drilled and a saw was used to cut a larger hole.

Also, surveillance video taken after a burglary at the Dollar Tree in Whitehall Township shows the getaway car was a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a discolored driver’s side front door.

Photos of the Grand Cherokee were sent to area police agencies last Tuesday (July 2) in an attempt to locate the vehicle, according to a criminal complaint filed by Bethlehem Det. Sean Molony.

The burglary at the Bethlehem Dollar Store, 1854 Stefko Blvd., was reported around 6:15 Fridaymorning. About three hours later, Allentown police stopped a gray 1998 Grand Cherokee with a black driver’s side front door. Weatherspoon was driving, the complaint says.

Inside the vehicle, police found various tools, including a reciprocating saw and blades, a drill and drill bits, a crow bar and a hammer. After getting a search warrant, police recovered the tools, as well as $415.91.

Weatherspoon, of 116 N. Fourth St., Room 10, in Allentown, was charged with burglary and theft by unlawful taking. He was arraigned Friday night by on-duty District Judge Jackie Taschner of Palmer Township and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.