SAINT CLAIR - A retail theft at the Wal-Mart Supercenter and subsequent chase Monday morning landed two Pottsville men in jail for outstanding warrants on other theft cases in Schuylkill County.
Archie D. Ciccanti, 32, of 245 Nichols St., and Robert W. McFarland, 41, last known address of 215 N. George St., were taken into custody in a wooded area off Darkwater Road after they tried to steal items from the store.
Saint Clair police Chief Michael Carey said he received a call of a theft at the store at 9:58 a.m. and while on the way, he saw a vehicle fitting the description as the thieves fled north on Route 61.
Carey said he activated his lights and siren and the driver of the car, a woman who was apparently giving the two men a ride, pulled over near Darkwater Road.
Carey said Ciccanti and McFarland fled on foot into the woods, prompting a search that grew to involve surrounding police departments, state police troopers and a state police helicopter stationed at the Hazleton airport.
In about an hour, Carey said the men were taken into custody in the woods near the quarry at the top of the Darkwater Road hill.
Both men are now facing charges of conspiracy, retail theft and receiving stolen property in connection with Monday's theft. Ciccanti was committed to Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $250,000 straight cash bail on warrants from Saint Clair police on five previous thefts at Wal-Mart. Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, arraigned Ciccanti on the outstanding warrants and set bail at $50,000 straight cash for each one.
Saint Clair police charged Ciccanti with the following thefts, in addition to Monday's crime:
- Aug. 11: Retail theft and receiving stolen property for taking three laptop computers valued at $1,101.
- Aug. 12: Retail theft and receiving stolen property for stealing a laptop computer and a cooler valued at $637.88.
- Aug. 12: Conspiracy, retail theft and receiving stolen property for stealing laptop computers, Blu-ray players and other items valued at $1,572.91.
- Sept. 24: Conspiracy, retail theft and receiving stolen property for stealing two Dyson vacuum cleaners valued at $898.
- Oct. 3: Conspiracy, retail theft and receiving stolen property for stealing a computer valued at $798.
McFarland was also arraigned by Plachko and committed to prison unable to post $100,000 straight cash bail on an outstanding warrant from state police at Schuylkill Haven in connection with the assault and robbery of a man Nov. 3 in Palo Alto.
Trooper Vincent Laselva charged McFarland with robbery, simple assault and harassment stemming from the incident in which he allegedly assaulted Jonathan T. Porter and stole $120.
Pottsville police also had existing warrants on Ciccanti on charges of retail theft, conspiracy and receiving stolen property for his role in the Oct. 4 theft of three television sets from Rite Aid on Mill Creek Avenue.
On the Pottsville charges, Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley, Pottsville, set bail at $25,000 straight cash.
Carey said that both McFarland and Ciccanti are also wanted on outstanding warrants from other police departments in Schuylkill and Berks counties.