NEW CASTLE —
Newport cigarettes were the main target of two suspects using a stolen bank card at several stores, police said.
Charged by New Castle police in the case are Jason Robert Kloss, 32, of 32 Oakwood Ave. and Michael Paul Ayersman, 27, of 449 Countyline St.
Kloss and Ayersman were arrested Monday, but the investigation into the charges they’re accused of began Nov. 6, with the report of a home burglary in the 1700 block of East Washington St.
A woman told officers she had been awakened by a noise around 10 p.m. When she investigated, she said, she found two men going through her belongings.
The woman told officers she asked them what they were doing, and one replied, “You don’t want to know what we are doing.” The woman said she screamed and the men ran out.
The victim said when she checked her home, the only thing missing was her purse and its contents.
The next day, officers learned the suspects were trying to use a credit card belonging to the victim. One location was Walmart, where an attempt was made to purchase 30 packs of Newports, then lesser amounts. But the three attempts failed.
When officers spoke with Walmart personnel, they were told one of the men had filed an incident report at the store, claiming he had been sprayed with bleach while walking down an aisle. He identified himself as Jason Kloss and the other man, Michael Ayersman, was identified as a witness.
Police also learned of multiple purchases with the card at other locations, again with Newports being the main target. Stores provided police with photos and videos of the suspects involved in the transactions.
As a result of their investigation, police charged both Kloss and Ayersman with two counts each of burglary, access device fraud and theft, and one count each of receiving stolen property and forgery.
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