Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — A Mars Hill teenager, charged for burglary, a Class E felony, for a string of thefts in the Third St. section of Presque Isle in mid-November, will make his next court appearance Jan. 14, 2010. “He pled denial to the charge of burglary. His case has been set for trial Jan. 14,” said Deputy District Attorney Carrie Linthicum. “He’s denied everything so far.”
The charge stems from incidents reported to the Presque Isle Police Department between Nov. 17 and 18. According to the police log, the department received a call from a homeowner on Third St. around 4:31 a.m. Nov. 17, reporting someone had entered their home. The homeowners told police that while the wife called for help, the husband went to investigate and discovered a young male in his home. The male reportedly left the home on foot, followed by the husband.
Officers Larry Fickett and Pete Johnson responded to investigate.
Police received several more calls throughout the morning of Nov. 18 from others in the same neighborhood reporting their cars had been burglarized and items taken from several unlocked motor vehicles. Police tracked down the suspect and located items from several of the crimes in the boy’s possession.
“Subsequent to an investigation into several motor vehicle burglaries and one home invasion that occurred late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, Officer Fickett arrested a 17-year-old Mars Hill youth for the crimes,” said Sgt. Laurie Kelly, PIPD.
Kelly said in the process of taking the teen into custody, the youth escaped but was apprehended again minutes later.
“In addition to several counts of burglary, the teen was charged with escape and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs,” said Kelly.
Police advise motorists to lock vehicles and keep valuables out of sight.
“A locked vehicle is a deterrent to criminal activity. It only takes a minute but can protect your possessions from ending up in a criminal’s hands,” said Sgt. Joey Seeley, PIPD.
