Bensalem Township Police have two men in custody for allegedly stealing a wrought-iron furniture set from outside a township funeral home.
The two suspects got out of their two-tone Ford F-150 at Hoffman Funeral Home on Brown Avenue at 4:29 p.m., stole and packed up the furniture, and were pulling away at 4:31, according to surveillance video.
After releasing the surveillance video and taking photos of the suspects to a scrap metal yard, Bensalem police were able to identify and apprehend Rick Smolda at his home on the 4200 block of Salem Street in Philadelphia. His accomplice, Daniel Crozier, 22, was taken into custody by Philadelphia Police. Authorities say Crozier was also wanted for a parole violation.
Police say Smolda admitted to them that he stole the five wrought-iron chairs with Crozier.
The furniture was recovered from a Northeast Philadelphia warehouse. Police are investigating other items found to determine if they are stolen as well.
The furniture, which dates back to 1950 and holds sentimental value to funeral home Michelle Hoffman has been returned.
Hoffman tells NBC10 her father bought the furniture and she's glad to have it back.
Investigators say that the area is inundated with thieves stealing metal and selling it as scrap metal for pennies on the dollar.
Rick Smolda (left)
