Homes burglarized during fire

A Walnut Street fire last week may have provided an opportunity for burglary.

New Castle firefighters were called out at 10:02 p.m. Dec. 28 to the blaze in a vacant home at 505 S. Walnut St.

They left the scene at 11:06 p.m. only to be called back at 11:23 p.m. Flames and smoke quickly became extensive in the second fire that nearby neighbors were advised to leave their homes.

A man who lives in the 500 block of Whippo Street told city police Friday afternoon that he left his home about 11 p.m. Dec. 28. When he returned about 11 a.m. the next day, he noticed that his front door and kitchen window were broken.

Upon further inspection, he discovered that some copper piping was missing from his basement.

While responding to that call, police were advised by another neighbor that he, too, had been instructed to leave his home because of the fire. He also discovered someone had tried to enter his residence while he was gone.

That man said that he returned home at 2:35 p.m. the following day and found that a door frame on the east side of the building had been damaged.

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