Suspected burglar caught with stolen property on roof of Scottsdale art gallery
Jan 8, 2024, 11:00 AM | Updated: 11:17 am
Harpreet Singh was arrested on burglary-related charges after getting caught on the roof of a Scottsdale art gallery with stolen property, police said. (Scottsdale Police Department and Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photos)
(Scottsdale Police Department and Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photos)
PHOENIX – A suspected burglar was arrested after getting caught with stolen property on the roof of an Old Town Scottsdale art gallery over the weekend, authorities said.
Officers responded to an in-progress burglary call at American Fine Art at Scottsdale Road and Main Street around 5:50 a.m. Sunday, the Scottsdale Police Department said.
According to court documents, an employee arrived at the gallery after getting an alarm call and found that multiple art pieces were missing from the walls. The employee also heard somebody speaking in the office above the gallery.
Seven pieces of art worth a total of $250,000 were missing, police said.
Officers set up a perimeter and located a man, identified later as 32-year-old Harpreet Singh, on the roof. Singh was taken into custody without incident, police said.
Several pieces of art were found on the roof of the gallery and adjoining businesses, along with items that could be used in a burglary such as a small drill, glass-breaking tool and flashlight, according to the probable cause statement for Singh’s arrest.
A white BMW registered to Singh with California plates was parked in the alley next to the building near an emergency access roof ladder. Police found Singh’s passport and Nevada driver’s license in the car.
Singh is a convicted felon in California and is on release for a burglary there last month, according to the probable cause statement.
He was booked into Maricopa County jail on three burglary-related charges. His bond was set at $50,000.
