[MSN] Alleged Houdini burglar faces additional charges. Charles Watkins may have thought he escaped suspicion for allegedly making six large statues disappear from a Scranton business.

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

09/18/2007 
Alleged Houdini burglar faces additional charges  
BY ERIN L. NISSLEY
STAFF WRITER
 

Charles Watkins may have thought he escaped suspicion for allegedly making
six large statues disappear from a Scranton business. 

But the 25-year-old, of 137 Village Drive, Taylor, was brought to court
Monday for more than a preliminary hearing on attempted burglary and related
charges stemming from his alleged break-in Aug. 29 at the Houdini Museum,
1433 N. Main Ave. Scranton police also charged him with theft and receiving
stolen property Monday after finding the owners of the statues.

After talking with witnesses who saw men running from the museum just after
2 a.m. Aug. 29, police managed to locate Mr. Watkins a few blocks away. He
matched descriptions given by the witnesses, though he denied breaking into
the museum. As they continued investigating, one of the witnesses showed
officers the green Pontiac Grand Am parked down the alley. 

The trunk was open and police saw the statues - four sculpted monk heads and
two flowered, terra cotta stone pieces - inside, police said.

At first, police believed the items belonged to the museum, which opened
about 20 years ago and has several pieces of memorabilia relating to the
famous escape artist. But museum director and co-founder Dorothy Dietrich
told The Times-Tribune she found nothing missing or broken after the
break-in.

Eventually, police tracked the six statues to Olde Good Things, a store that
specializes in architectural antiques salvaged from buildings slated for
demolition. A worker from the 400 Gilligan St. store identified the items,
valued at about $600, as belonging to the store, court records say. 

Mr. Watkins, who remains free on $10,000 unsecured bail, waived his right to
a preliminary hearing on the Houdini Museum charges. He does not have an
attorney.

Contact the writer: enissley at timesshamrock.com