A Philadelphia man faces charges after police said he broke into a North Scranton health center Wednesday night.
Officers responded to the Wright Center for Community Health, 1721 N. Main Ave., around 10:39 p.m. on a burglar alarm call, according to a criminal complaint. County dispatchers informed officers the alarm was coming from the office garage zone, police said.
Upon arrival, Patrolman Adam Bisignani noticed the side door of the building was open and saw fresh tool marks near the lock of the door, according to the criminal complaint. Another officer responded to help clear the building and heard what sounded like footsteps or someone shuffling around inside the property.
Bisignani observed a person standing in the hallway area who was wearing a mask and holding a couple of bags, officers said. Bisignani commanded the man to stop, but he started running and exited through the back door of the building, according to the criminal complaint.
Bisignani chased the male — later identified by officers as Brian Nixon — through the rear parking lot before the offender made a right turn onto a nearby alley, where he continued running until the officers caught up and took him into custody, police said.
As officers searched Nixon, they found multiple screwdrivers, flashlights and a multitool in his possession, according to the criminal complaint.
Officers also recovered the bags Nixon was carrying while attempting to elude them — a full medical bag and a Wright Center bag containing multiple condoms — and gave them to a Wright Center employee who arrived on scene, police said.
Police charged Nixon, 1815 N. Mascher St., with burglary, criminal trespass, evading arrest or detention on foot, possessing instruments of crime, criminal mischief and theft by unlawful taking.
As of Thursday, Nixon, 47, remained in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is set for July 23 at 9:45 a.m.