CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A man is facing felony charges after apartment owners returned from vacation to find their residence a disaster.
Austin Shaffer, 21, is charged with two felony counts of burglary and criminal trespassing as well as multiple theft misdemeanors.
May 26, Portage Borough Police Department was dispatched to a completed burglary on the 700 block of Main Street in Portage, Pa. Upon arrival, owners and police found items thrown around the apartment, the front door was tampered with, bedroom blankets were on the floor and two cats were taken from the premises, according to the criminal complaint.
Shaffer told police that he is homeless and was seeking shelter from the bad weather upon entering the apartment. He also told police that he thought the cats were abandoned which is why he decided to take them in, according to the criminal complaint.
Multiple apartment witnesses saw and heard Shaffer break into the apartment. Shaffer is currently in the Cambria County Prison and was unable to post bail.