A total of 34 video games were recovered from a house on Rural Street in Paden City just hours after a robbery was reported.

Aided by a report of suspicious activity, the Paden City Police Department recovered approximately $2,500 in stolen goods on Thursday.

A resident arrived at the police department early that morning and reported an African American man carrying a large white garbage bag, which appeared to be filled with video games, down Rural Street. Later that morning the department received a call informing them of a breaking and entering on Union Street; among the items listed as stolen were two Play Station 3s, an XBox 360, a Nintendo Wii, and 34 video games for these systems.

This information led Chief Mike Kelly and Sergeant Bryan Owens to a house on Rural Street where a man matching the description was known to be staying. Upon arrival they apprehended the suspect, 19-year-old Dimitri Sweatte, originally of Charleston, W.Va.

The home’s owner, who is the mother of a girl previously involved with Sweatte, later discovered the stolen items in the room where he was staying and turned them over to the police. The stolen systems and games have since been returned to the owner.

Confessing to the robbery on Union Street, Sweatte also admitted to a breaking and entering on South Second Avenue in which an iPod Touch and a Nintendo DS game system were stolen. He is currently in the Northern Regional Jail on charges of nighttime burglary and grand larceny; he may also face additional charges.

Among recovered items were two Play Station 3s, an XBox 360 and a Nintendo Wii.

Sergeant Owens said that the entire department had a part in this effort.

“We appreciate the eyewitness who reported seeing the activity,” he said. “Without the tip, we might still be looking for the stolen items. The reporting of suspicious activity is incredibly valuable.”

Dimitri Sweatte