Four people were charged following a police chase May 22 in Pennsylvania and New York, Coudersport-based state police reported.
Allegations against arrestees include theft of two vehicles, fleeing police and possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. Some face more charges than others.
According to police, at 11:45 a.m. May 22, they were attempting to locate a 2008 Toyota Tacoma pick-up truck that was reported stolen from Ulysses Township, when a trooper located the truck in Harrison Valley Borough. When the trooper tried to pull the truck over, the operator of the truck fled.
Police did not say who was operating but truck, but charges against Dakota Burdick, 19, of Westfield, include fleeing an officer and numerous traffic summaries.
Police pursued the truck, following the truck on several back roads, then into New York State. In New York, they traveled through an agricultural field, back on more dirt roads, through the Town of Whitesville then onto County Road 248A. The pursuit continued into Genesee Township in Pennsylvania, according to police.
In Genesee, the pursuing trooper conducted a safe pit maneuver on the stolen truck, which ended the chase at the intersection of School and Main streets, police said.
Police apprehended the truck’s occupants and searched the truck.
In addition to Burdick, the others charged after the investigation were Tyler Stevens, 26, of Ulysses; Kristina Stebbins, 23, of Whitesville, N.Y.; and Joseth Shafer, 18, of Westfield.
While investigating the truck theft, police learned that a second vehicle — a 2013 GMC Terrain sport utility vehicle — was stolen from a home near the spot from which the truck was taken. Police said the two vehicle thefts stemmed from the same incident.
According to police, in the middle of the night on May 22, Stevens entered a home in Ulysses Township and took items including keys to the SUV, then fled in the SUV. The SUV was later recovered — unoccupied — in New York.
Stevens was not taken into custody until 3 p.m. May 26, police reported.
Police outlined the charges filed against each of the four.
Burdick is charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, flight to avoid apprehension and fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, third-degree felonies; possession of meth, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanors; recklessly endangering another person, a second-degree misdemeanor; and 27 traffic summaries.
Stevens is charged with burglary, a first-degree felony; theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, third-degree felonies.
Police indicated that more charges would be filed against Burdick and Stevens.
Meanwhile, Stebbins is charged with conspiracy-theft by unlawful taking, conspiracy-theft by receiving stolen property, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, all third-degree felonies.
Shafer is charged with possession of meth, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Shafer faces no charges related to motor vehicle theft.
Stevens and Burdick are in Potter County Jail in lieu of $50,000 each. Stebbins is free, having posted 10% of $20,000 bail, and Shafer is free on $10,000 unsecured bail.
Stevens, Burdick and Stebbins have preliminary hearings set for Friday, while Shafer has a hearing set for June 8.
Victims are listed as Jason McCullen, 39, and Bryan Forney, 64, both of Coudersport.
