Police: Suspects stole $20K in dirt bikes from storage unit near North East

ELKTON — Two men who allegedly stole three dirt bikes with a combined value of more than $20,000 from a commercial storage facility near North East one year ago are facing numerous charges after a Cecil County grand jury handed up indictments against them, according to court records.

Investigators identified the defendants as Philadelphia, Pa. residents John Patrick Simon, 29, and Andrew Joseph Schiazza, 28.

The defendants are accused of breaking into a storage unit at Sentinel Self Storage in the 1700 block of West Pulaski Highway (Route 40) on July 14, 2023 and stealing a 2019 Yamaha YZ-250 valued at $7,500; a Honda CRF-250, also valued at $7,500; and a KTM-250 valued at $5,500.

Maryland State Police troopers handled the investigation, which lasted a few months and involved cooperation from New Jersey State Police troopers, who contacted the MSP trooper in late August 2023 after noticing that one of the stolen dirt bikes that had been reported stolen was “for sale on Facebook marketplace in Philadelphia,” according to court records.

Information provided by the online seller of that dirt bike helped investigators identify Simon as one of the suspects, court records allege.

Also helpful in the investigation was video gleaned from security cameras at the North East-area storage facility, according to court records. The footage helped investigators identify two suspect vehicles, which were recorded on the business premises on July 14, 2023, and the men inside those vehicles, court records show.

In addition, court records allege that information contained in a Facebook account linked to Simon revealed that Simon and Schiazza accompanied each other to Sentinel Self Storage on July 14, 2024 and that Simon sent “numerous messages to numerous friends containing videos/photographs of the stolen dirt bikes, including ones of himself on the KTM dirt bike.” That social media account provided investigators with other evidence, too, according to court records.

A Cecil County grand jury handed up indictments against Simon and Schiazza on July 3, charging each with 10 criminal offenses, including second-degree burglary, fourth-degree storehouse burglary and theft scheme of more than $1,500 and less than $25,000, according to court records, which list July 3 as their arrest date.