A Bradford man waived charges in three cases — including the alleged theft of vehicles — to McKean County Court Thursday.
Austin Jay Crooks, 18, of Buffalo Street, is facing charges involving the theft of two vehicles, and corruption of minors and interference with the custody of a child for allegedly conspiring with 17-year-old Tyler Newman in the crimes.
Crooks is facing charges from Smethport, the City of Bradford and from Corydon Township.
According to court records, Crooks told police he had been kicked out of his foster home. He said he believed he would be “sent away,” so he left school with Newman. The two walked around Smethport, with Crooks looking into car windows until he found a vehicle with the keys in it, police allege.
Newman drove the stolen Chevrolet Tahoe from the residence on West Main Street in Smethport to Bradford with Crooks as a passenger, court records read. The two drove to Comfort Inn and parked in the lot, where they allegedly discussed stealing another vehicle before parking at the Uni-Mart on Chestnut Street. From there, Newman ran to the lot of the Comfort Inn and stole a car, court records allege.
The two drove to Limestone, N.Y., and then to Marshburg, and were allegedly racing when the Tahoe went out of control and slammed into a tree, court records read. After the crash, the two grabbed everything they could from the Tahoe and left the scene in the other car, and then drove to Franklin, where Crooks’ cousin picked them up and drove them back to Kane, court records read.
The two went back to Bradford, and separated while walking in the Mill Street area on Feb. 5.
Crooks met up with his girlfriend, who took him to the Kane barracks of state police to turn himself in. Later that day, Newman was caught after allegedly stealing a third car from a pizza delivery driver at Bradford Regional Medical Center, court records read.
Meanwhile, police investigating the accident in Marshburg had found a wallet containing Crooks’ birth certificate. Clothing inside the vehicle resembled that which Newman had been wearing, according to court records.
In Smethport, Crooks 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.
And from the Corydon Township vehicle crash, he is charged with interference with custody of children and receiving stolen property, both third-degree felonies; corruption of minors, a first-degree misdemeanor; unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a second-degree misdemeanor; and numerous summary offenses.
He is free, having posted bail in one case, while bail in the other two cases was unsecured.
Newman was adjudicated as a juvenile. No further information was immediately available as to charges against him.
