Blakely police charged a Jermyn man with entering multiple homes in the borough without permission last week.
Officers were dispatched to a home in the 500 block of Hickory Street on Thursday for a report of an intruder.
The home’s owner, Chelsea DeLeo, told them she watched the man inside her home petting her dog before leaving in a charcoal gray Hyundai Santa Cruz down Cemetery Street, according to a criminal complaint.
Her husband David DeLeo, showed officers video footage from inside the home of an older white male in a blue shirt with no shoes on. The footage showed the man, seeming disoriented, walking into the home, petting the dog, yelling and mumbling, the complaint states.
The door was unlocked, no items were stolen and there was no damage, according to the complaint.
David DeLeo told officers later that day several people identified the man who entered his home as Thomas Sweeney, 63, 413 Gibson St. after his wife shared the video footage to Facebook. Police later confirmed Sweeney was the man in the footage.
Officers went to Sweeney’s home in Jermyn and tried to make contact with him but were unsuccessful, according to the complaint. They were able to get in touch with Sweeney’s daughter, who told them her father had several mental health problems, as well as a drinking problem, which his family had been trying to help him address.
While investigating the first incident, officers received a call from Alison Woody, who informed them the same man walked into her residence in the 400 block of Fourth Street doing similar actions.
A third resident, Michelle Passeri, also informed police that Sweeney, her ex-boyfriend, walked into her home, stated he was delivering something and walked out, according to the complaint.
Officers questioned Sweeney late Thursday evening and he said he didn’t remember walking into anyone’s home in Peckville or Blakely. Sweeney was later taken into police custody.
Magisterial District Judge Christopher Szewczyk arraigned Sweeney Friday on two counts of felony criminal trespassing, setting bail at $150,000 unsecured. Sweeney’s preliminary hearing is Aug. 5.