Jersey Shore couple allegedly caused extensive damage to heating ventilation system
Lee Matthew Winters, 30, and his fiancee, Janelle Bertin, 53, were taken into custody Tuesday afternoon at their Jersey Shore home at 117 N. Broad St. Jersey Shore, on four felony charges, accusing them of causing an estimated $18,000 worth of damage to two HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) units outside the Tiadaghton Inn at 1120 Allegheny St. in the borough, Lycoming Regional police said. The damage was done during the early morning hours Friday when the two conspired to remove from the units copper and scrap metal that they loaded into a shopping cart that they pushed to their home, it was alleged in an affidavit. Surveillance video implicated the two in the crime, police said. Winters and Bertin were both arraigned hours later before District Judge Denise Dieter on charges of theft, receiving stolen property, theft of secondary metal, criminal mischief, all felonies; plus possession of an instrument of crime (the shopping cart) and criminal trespassing. Winters was jailed in the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $40,000 bail while Bertin was released on the same amount.
