A Schuylkill County man, Richard Weiss, 49, is in custody after allegedly stealing a police vehicle early Monday morning (April 14). According to Schuylkill Haven Police Chief Jeffrey Walcott, Weiss entered a running Ford F-150 pickup truck parked next to the police station on Parkway Avenue. The officer had left the vehicle idling, mistakenly believing it was locked.
Weiss, familiar to the department due to past incidents related to his mental health, reportedly went to the station to check for any warrants against him. Finding none, he allegedly took the opportunity to drive off in the police vehicle, which was captured on security cameras.
After leaving Schuylkill Haven, Weiss reportedly traveled to a Wawa in Berks County, where he took items from behind the counter, claiming to be an off-duty officer. He was later found in Wilmington, Delaware, where security stopped him after he drove into an Amtrak station lot.
Weiss faces felony charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, along with a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was extradited back to Schuylkill County for processing.
Chief Walcott stated that the vehicle, which contained locked firearms, was not damaged and has been returned to Schuylkill Haven. The officer responsible for the vehicle will be addressed internally for the oversight.
Links
https://www.pahomepage.com/news/man-goes-to-turn-himself-in-allegedly-steals-cop-car/