HERMITAGE Man suspected in theft of disaster relief funds

Police said the man they arrested uses a number of aliases.
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Police said they arrested a con-man suspect who may have been involved in the theft of disaster relief funds in the New York City area.
Police said they spotted Jerome J. Brandl, 34, of Akron, N.Y., driving in a stolen 1999 Mercedes on state Route 18 around 2:40 a.m. Tuesday.
Brandl initially identified himself as Jared Sterling and was registered at the Holiday Inn on Pa. Route 18 under that name, police said.
Officers soon learned he had a number of aliases and, in addition to the stolen car he was driving, he had stolen camera equipment in the vehicle with him.
Police said the car was stolen from a woman in Brookfield, Wis., and the camera equipment had been stolen in Gillespie, Ill.
New York money: Further investigation showed that police in the New York City area want to talk to Brandl about missing relief fund donations that had been destined for victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attack Sept. 11.
Police said Brandl is suspected of befriending fire departments in the New York City area and then helping himself to relief fund boxes in those departments.
Detectives from the New York area are expected to come to Hermitage to interview him, police said.
Brandl was arraigned before District Justice Henry Russo on charges of being a fugitive from justice and receiving stolen property and lodged in Mercer County Jail after failing to post $250,000 bond.