Three accused of breaking into abandoned St. Catherine Medical Center complex
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - The former St. Catherine Medical Center in Fountain Springs on June 17, 2021.
FOUNTAIN SPRINGS – Two men are in county prison and another is free on bail, all accused of breaking into the boiler room of the former Saint Catherine Medical Center here over the weekend.
Jeffrey Murphy, 44, of 541 East 9th Street, Berwick, Brian Boblick, 39, of 237 South Chestnut Street, Mount Carmel, and Jesse George, 38, of 5137 Route 61, Paxinos, are all facing felony burglary and criminal trespass charges for the incident.
According to the criminal complaints filed by Patrolman Francis Lally, he and Lt. Shawn Butler were on routine patrol around 9pm Saturday when they noticed fresh tire tracks leading to the rear of the former Saint Catherine Medical Center.
They followed the tire tracks and found a pickup truck parked at the rear of the building and footprints led into a side door of that room.
Backup was requested and the area was secured.
Assistance arrived from Ashland and West Mahanoy Township and officers made entry into the boiler room.
Inside, they found three people just beyond the entryway — two on the floor and one in the rafters.
The two on the floor — Boblick and Murphy — were detained and the one in the rafters — George — was given commands to get down.
Police said he did not and was then struck by a stun gun deployed by West Mahanoy Patrolman Theodore Buriak. He continued to crawl through the rafters, but eventually made his way down and was detained.
All were led out of the vehicle to patrol cars and, when George was being searched, he took off towards the woodlands.
Eventually, he was brought back into custody.
Inside the building, officers found a butane torch in the rafter, a collapsible ladder, and a red grinder.
All three were arrested and charged with felony burglary and criminal trespass charges and arraigned early Sunday morning by on-call Magisterial District Judge Andrew Serina.
Murphy and Boblick were committed to Schuylkill County Prison, unable to post $50,000 cash bail.
They remain in prison as of Thursday evening.
George was committed to Schuylkill County Prison on $100,000 bail, which he posted via a bondsman from Allentown Wednesday. He is free awaiting a preliminary hearing.
All three are scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli on Feb. 28.
The hospital complex has been abandoned since its closure in 2012. Despite multiple sales — and a high need for medical care in northern Schuylkill County — no redevelopment efforts have ever moved forward.
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