“We refer to this as a crime spree,” said Bradford City Assistant Police Chief Mike Ward on Sunday night.
He was talking about a two-day spree where Tyler Newman, 17, of Gifford, and Arthur Crooks, 18, of Smethport, allegedly stole three vehicles — one in Smethport on Saturday, one in front of the Comfort Inn in Bradford later Saturday and a third from a Napoli Pizza delivery driver Sunday afternoon in front of Bradford Regional Medical Center.
Ward explained the first vehicle stolen was a sport-utility vehicle from Smethport. “They had stolen the first in Smethport and drove to Bradford,” Ward said, “and stole the second from Comfort Inn.”
The assistant chief said someone at Comfort Inn had started the car to warm it up, and gone back inside the hotel. The car was stolen by the duo, police said. Crooks and Newman allegedly each drove one of the stolen vehicles until the SUV was wrecked in a rollover crash on Route 59 near the KOA Campground, according to Ward.
The stolen car was located in Franklin in Venango County on Sunday, and was impounded there as evidence in the investigation, Ward explained.
About 1:20 p.m. Sunday, a Napoli Pizza delivery driver had briefly stopped at BRMC, leaving his car running outside. When he returned moments later, the car had been stolen. A witness there saw the theft, police radio reports indicated.
The McKean County 911 Center notified area police departments of the car theft, and within about 20 minutes, a motorist called the center to report she was following what she believed was the stolen car, radio reports indicated.
The motorist was able to give police the license number of the car, which confirmed it was the stolen vehicle. She stayed behind the car and on the phone with emergency dispatchers, telling them turn-by-turn directions of where the car was located until police arrived.
Ward said city police were joined by Foster Township Police, state police and University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Police, and stopped the car at the Bolivar Drive exit of the parking lot of the Bradford Mall.
“We all converged on the car and took (Newman) into custody,” Ward said. “He is going to be charged accordingly.”
Meanwhile, Crooks turned himself in at the Kane barracks of state police. “He is in custody and is being charged with conspiracy to commit theft of motor vehicles and corruption of minors,” Ward said. Crooks was awaiting arraignment late Sunday.
“All of the departments involved worked well together and we were able to complete a thorough investigation,” Ward said.
Although Newman is a juvenile, Pennsylvania law permits the release of his name because the charges he faces would be considered felonies if he were an adult.
Around 2 p.m., emergency officials contacted Napoli Pizza to let the car’s owner know where it could be located. Later on Super Bowl Sunday, the driver was indeed back behind the wheel, delivering food throughout the area.
