A transient who police say is from Smethport is in McKean County Jail, accused of a vehicle-theft spree with a 17-year-old co-defendant.
Austin Jay Crooks, 18, is charged in a case in Smethport and in a case in the City of Bradford.
In Smethport, he is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a second-degree felony;
theft, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy, all third-degree felonies; criminal mischief, a third-degree misdemeanor; and driving without a license, a summary offense.
In Bradford, he is charged with two counts of theft, second-degree felonies; corruption of minors, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Court records said about 10:30 p.m. Friday, Crooks and Tyler Newman, 17, of Gifford, stole a blue Chevy Tahoe from a residence on West Main Street in Smethport. The two entered the unlocked sport-utility vehicle, and both confessed to driving the SUV, court records read.
The two took turns operating the Tahoe from Smethport to Bradford, where they planned to steal another vehicle, police allege.
Crooks drove the SUV to the rear of the Comfort Inn, Bradford City Police allege, then into the parking lot while Newman entered a Pontiac G6 and took it from the parking lot, according to court records. Crooks then followed Newman, driving first to Limestone, N.Y., and then turned around and headed to Route 59.
Newman was driving the car taken from Comfort Inn, and Crooks was driving the Tahoe taken from Smethport, police said. On Route 59, Crooks lost control of the Tahoe, and it rolled over, coming to rest against a tree in the Marshburg area, court records read. Crooks then got in the car with Newman and the two went to Franklin in Venango County where the car became disabled, court records allege.
On Sunday, Newman was caught after allegedly stealing a third car from a pizza delivery driver at Bradford Regional Medical Center, court records read.
Crooks does not have a driver’s license.
Crooks was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Dom Cercone in Bradford on Sunday night, and remanded to jail in lieu of $10,000 bail. He was arraigned Monday before Magisterial District Judge Bill Todd in Bradford and was remanded to jail in lieu of $15,000 bail.
Crooks is scheduled to appear in Central Court on Thursday.
