A Bradford man was jailed Wednesday on allegations that he stole items from two vehicles in Bradford City last week.
Mathew L. Louser, 32, of 43 Forman St., two counts of theft from a motor vehicle, one a second-degree misdemeanor and the other a third-degree misdemeanor, and two counts of receiving stolen property, a second-degree misdemeanor and a third-degree misdemeanor.
According to the criminal complaint, at 4:33 p.m. June 8, a female reported to Bradford City Police that someone took her purse — which contained two debit cards, two credit cards, a driver’s license and $40 — from her vehicle while it was parked in the alley behind the VA Medical Clinic off Kennedy Street. She was in the clinic for at most 15 minutes and left her vehicle unlocked.
While she was showing an officer where her car was parked, he saw Louser walking through the Bradford Club parking lot. The officer knew Louser was the suspect in other recent theft cases.
The officer allegedly found footage from the city surveillance camera on Kennedy Street that showed Louser walk down the alley that leads to the VA parking lot, court record stated.
At 6:12 p.m. that same day, police received another report of a theft from a motor vehicle.
A second female said her vehicle was parked from 2 to 6 p.m. in the alley between Corydon and Main streets behind the Grocery Stretcher, and it was locked. Someone took a green duffel bag that contained a Dell Chromebook laptop worth about $200 and clothing; the female’s father found the bag in the alley behind 20 Main St. with all the items inside except the laptop and its charger, according to the criminal complaint.
An officer talked to Louser, who initially said he had not left his apartment all day; when the officer challenged Louser, he denied being in the Kennedy Street area. The officer showed Louser the surveillance footage, and he eventually admitted to stealing the purse, court records stated.
Louser showed police the Dumpster where he left the purse, and everything appeared to be inside except the $40 cash. Louser told police there was no cash in it, but when an officer accused Louser of lying, he admitted to taking the money because he owed money to two men who threatened to beat him up, according to court records. At that time, Louser denied taking the laptop.
On June 10, the officer reviewed surveillance footage from the area of the second alleged theft. The footage showed Louser leaving the alley from where the laptop was stolen; it also showed him leaving the alley behind 20 Main St., and it appeared he was concealing something under his shirt, court records stated.
Police later learned Louser sold the laptop for $50 to a man who lives on Pearl Street, according to the criminal complaint.
Louser was committed to McKean County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail, and he is scheduled to appear in Central Court on June 21.
One day before the new allegations, on June 7, in McKean County Court, Louser asked for a trial in two previous theft cases. In one of the older cases, he faces a single count of criminal attempt-theft from a motor vehicle, and in the second, he faces charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
He has not been convicted in either case, and a trial date has yet to be set.
