Dec 20, 2018 By Scott Beveridge staff Writer sbeveridge@observer-Reporter.Com 6 min read

A string of new charges were filed Dec. 18 against a Pittsburgh man whom state police arrested earlier this month as a suspect in a Canonsburg burglary while having him under surveillance.

State police with the Organized Crime Task Force filed 19 additional burglary counts against Robert Carl Keifer, 51, before he waived his charges before District Judge David Mark in Canonsburg to Washington County Court, records show.

The 20 counts involve several burglaries in Peters Township and others in numerous South Hills communities in which businesses without surveillance or burglary alarms were cased and then targeted by Keifer between June 12 and Dec. 7, the records allege.

State police had identified the suspect by the license plate on his pickup truck, which had been captured a number of times on surveillance in the areas of the businesses that were burglarized.

Investigators had him under surveillance Dec. 7 when they followed him to Wai Wai Buffet Chinese restaurant about 2 a.m. He’s accused of using a pry bar to force open a door to get inside the business at 113 Cavasina Drive and steal $433 from a cash register. He was arrested in that case a short time later in a traffic stop.

Keifer allegedly netted more than $8,660 in the crime spree, while also stealing lobster tails, ransacking offices, damaging items and breaking plumbing to flood some of the businesses, police stated in the affidavit.

Police also amended the criminal complaint against Keifer Tuesday to include 16 counts of theft and 23 counts of criminal mischief.

Police said Allegheny County prosecutors agreed to transfer all of the cases to Washington County Court. His bond was lowered from $100,000 to $50,000 before he was returned to Washington County jail, where he also is being held on a state parole detainer.

More Information

Robert Carl Keifer of Pittsburgh is a suspect in the following burglaries:

• Great Clips, 4225 Brownsville Road, Brentwood. The suspect smashed holes in an exterior cinder block wall and drywall to get into the business and steal $200 between 9 p.m. June 13 and 8 a.m. June 14. Keifer’s pickup truck is observed on surveillance in the area several times between 7:43 and 9:39 p.m.
• Bethel Park Chiropractic, 5727 Library Road, Bethel Park. The suspect used a pry bar to open a door and ransack the office without finding any money about 11:30 p.m. June 25.
• Caruso Hair Salon, 150 Vanadium Road, Scott Township. The suspect tried to manipulate a rear door without success and then used a rock to break a window in the door to get inside and steal $2,164 between 8 p.m. July 3 and 7 a.m. July 5.
• Caruso Hair Salon, 31 Donati Road, Bethel Park. The suspect broke and forced open a window to get inside to ransack furniture and pry open a cabinet in the office between 9 p.m. July 24 and 5:16 a.m. July 25. No money was stolen.
• Family Dentistry, 5800 Library Road, Bethel Park. The suspect cut a screen and entered through a window, punching a hole through drywall after being unable to enter the business through an interior door. Nothing was stolen in the burglary about 9:41 p.m. Aug. 6.
• Fuse Fitness and Sciullo Chiropractic, located in a strip mall at 4135 Library Road, Castle Shannon. The suspect smashed a hole in a cinder block wall to get inside the mall and then used tools to break through drywall to get inside the businesses. Plumbing was destroyed, which caused flooding. Nothing was stolen in the break-ins between Aug. 7 and 8.
• Martinizing Dry Cleaners, 3517 Washington Road, Peters Township. The suspect used a pry bar to force open a rear door to steal $353 between 7:15 p.m. Aug. 17 and 7:57 a.m. Aug. 18.
• Healthy Pet Products, 3043 Washington Road, Peters Township. The suspect pried open a rear door to seal $354 between Aug. 17 and 18.
• Model Cleaners and Supercuts, 4080 Washington Road, Peters Township. Surveillance captured the suspect entering and leaving through a rear door after destroying a sink and toilet in Supercuts, flooding both businesses between 11:15 and 11:44 p.m. Aug. 17. No money was reported stolen.
• Ace Paints, 3339 Washington Road, Peters Township. A window was damaged to enter the business and steal a bag of pure silver coins between 6 p.m. Aug. 17 and 9 a.m. Aug. 18. The suspect later was captured on video at gold buyers in Pittsburgh, where coins that resembled those stolen from Ace were cashed in for $1,482.
• Asian Cafe, 701 Cooke Drive, Castle Shannon. The suspect pried open a door and cash register to steal $500 between 11:30 p.m. Aug. 18 and 11:40 a.m. Aug. 19.
• Castle Place, 331 Mt. Lebanon Boulevard, Castle Shannon. A rear door and cash register were forced open to steal $405 between 2 and 3:07 a.m. Aug. 19.
• China House, 304 Sun Valley Drive, Cranberry Township. The suspect pried open a rear door to steal $1,600 Nov. 24.
• Milano’s Pizza, 3616 William Flynn Highway, Shaler Township. The suspect pried open a rear door and cash register to steal $300 between 11:30 p.m. Nov. 24 and 3:26 a.m. Nov. 25.
• Asian Cafe, 1724 William Flynn Highway, Shaler Township. The suspect pried open a steel door and cash register to steal $500 Nov. 24.
• Davidson & Derion Insurance, 442 Castle Shannon Boulevard, Mt. Lebanon. The suspect broke a window in a rear door to ransack an office without finding money between 6:18 and 10 p.m. Nov. 27.
• Professional Planning Consultants, 450 Castle Shannon Boulevard, Mt. Lebanon. The suspect pried open a door to a garage, removed a ladder and used it to enter the second floor by breaking a window between 6:18 and 10 p.m. Nov. 27. A bottle of liquor valued at $300 was stolen.
• China Palace Restaurant, 10441 Perry Highway, Wexford. The suspect entered through a rear door to steal $300 from a petty cash drawer and frozen lobster tails worth $150 between 11:15 p.m. Nov. 29 and 1:15 a.m. Nov. 30.
• Creative Hair, 3192 Washington Road, and Blyth & Shearn Window and Doors, 3190 Washington Road, Peters Township. The suspect forced open a door to steal $100 from Creative Hair and abandoned an effort to enter Blyth & Shearn after discovering a concrete firewall. The suspect then pried open a side door to enter Blyth & Shearn without finding any money Dec. 4.
• The burglary spree comes to an end with the arrest Dec. 7 at Wai Wai in Canonsburg.

Information is from the criminal complaint and affidavit filed Dec. 18 before District Judge David Mark in Canonsburg.