Allegations behind new burglary charges filed against a Bradford man are connected to a suspected truck arson fire he allegedly started June.
James E. Bunce Sr., 41, of 172 High St., Bradford, was arraigned Monday before District Judge Richard Luther on charges of burglary, a first-degree felony; criminal trespassing, a second-degree felony; theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, third-degree felonies; and damaging property by operation of a motor vehicle, a summary charge.
This is the third felony criminal case Bunce is facing in McKean County for alleged actions that occurred between June 28 and 29. All three cases are still pending.
According to the criminal complaint, between 6 p.m. June 28 and 9:45 p.m. June 29, Bunce entered a campsite on Rew Coleville Road in Foster Township and broke into a secured residence and shed.
He took items including a Craftsman riding lawn mower, a Craftsman bagger, a Philips HD television, a Craftsman leaf blower, an Emerson 900-watt microwave, a KTM 85 dirt bike, a DeWalt drill with batteries and a charger, 10 tiki torches, a Coleman cooler, food items, 10 cases of soda and an air compressor, the complaint stated.
At one point, the vehicle used in the alleged burglary became stuck, tearing up the lawn, and an aluminium extension ladder was damaged when it was placed under the tires in an attempt to free the vehicle.
In addition, court records state that Bunce damaged numerous other items including a sofa, a love seat, a window blind, a DeWalt hammer drill, the front door, a refrigerator, a steel window door, a steel door and interior walls. Tuscarora Insurance Co. compensated the alleged victim $2,260.73 for the damage.
Bunce allegedly tried to sell the stolen dirt bike to two different people.
A part from the stolen leaf blower was found in a truck destroyed by fire in Bradford Township — a fire Bunce is accused of intentionally starting, the complaint indicated.
Investigators discovered that the tire tracks from the burnt vehicle appear to match the tire tracks found at the site of the camp burglary, too.
The arson case against Bunce stems from alleged actions on June 29 on Songbird Road, Bradford Township, when Bunce set fire to a 2013 Toyota Tacoma pick-up truck that was reported stolen on June 25 from Houston, Pa., according to the criminal complaint.
That same truck was also the alleged getaway vehicle in a separate burglary.
Bunce, along with two other men — Washington, Pa., residents Michael Randolph and James Hammond Jr. — are charged in a separate case in which the men broke into Stoney North Enterprises Inc. the night of June 28 to steal power equipment including chainsaws, court records stated.
Records indicated the three planned to sell the equipment to make money.
In fact, one of the people to whom the three allegedly tried to sell the stolen dirt bike to refused to buy the dirt bike because it was stolen; when asked what he would be interested in purchasing, the man replied chainsaws. He did not know they would steal chainsaws just to sell them to him, according to the criminal complaint.
At the time of the burglaries, Bunce had an active warrant for his arrest after escaping from a court-ordered halfway house setting with Randolph and Hammond, court records stated.
Bail in the new case is set for $25,000, and he is scheduled to appear today in Central Court.
