A man and woman are locked up in Schuylkill County Prison after they were caught breaking into the former Ashland Hospital.
According to court papers filed by Butler Township Police Officer John Kaczmarczyk, Bianca McCabe, 23, and Francis Kehler, 26, both of Ashland were found inside the property on Friday, September 13th, 2024.
Kaczmarczyk wrote that around 11:30am that morning, he along with Police Chief Chris Hand were routinely patrolling the property when they found a door propped open.
Both officers checked inside where they found McCabe and Kehler. McCabe was found near recently cut copper piping and Kehler was found in a nearby stairway.
Police spoke with the property owner who stated that Kehler was permitted to be on the property to do landscaping but was not allowed inside.
A bag containing hypodermic needles, and a controlled substance were also found.
As a result, both were taken into custody with McCabe being charged with Burglary, Criminal Trespass, Theft by Unlawful Taking, Theft of Secondary Metal, Possessing the Instrument of a Crime, False Identification to Law Enforcement, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Kehler was charged with conspiracy to commit Burglary, Criminal Trespass, Theft by Unlawful Taking, Theft of Secondary Metal, Possessing the Instrument of a Crime.
Both were arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli and locked up in Schuylkill County Prison. McCabe's bail was set at $50,000 straight cash while Kehler was set at $25,000 straight cash.