Police say suspect took items from vehicles, then took a car
SEVEN SPRINGS — Police said the 32-year-old man drove into the Seven Springs main lodge parking lot March 9, got out of his 2010 Ford Escape and allegedly took items from several cars there, placing at least one of the items in his car. Then, when he was ready to go, he could not find his parked car or locate his cell phone.
Michael Lee Curtis of Jeannette told police he spotted a 2023 gray Ford Escape parked where he remembered parking his vehicle. He saw the car was unlocked with a key inside so he decided to drive it back to his home, nearly 40 miles away, and have his "partner" follow him in another vehicle back to Seven Springs so she could help locate his phone.
The owner of the newer Escape, Rebekah Arnold, told police she was at an event in the resort and had accidentally left her keys in her unlocked vehicle. When she left the event, she discovered her vehicle was missing. She was able to track the vehicle using the Ford app on her phone as it traveled on North Gate Road before exiting the resort. At that point, the GPS inside the vehicle appeared to be disabled, Arnold told police.
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During the investigation, state police found a Ford key fob in the parking lot near one of the victim's vehicles. They were able to locate that vehicle, listed as owned by the partner to Curtis, using the fob and reported seeing an item (Nikon camera in a partially open bag) that was among the items reported stolen, according to Trooper David Waldschmidt.
A purple stun gun was viewed in the vehicle, police said.
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Meanwhile, Curtis was driving the reported stolen vehicle into the same parking lot with his "partner" driving another vehicle behind him. The troopers were there by his vehicle waiting for a tow truck to take the vehicle back to the station to apply for a search warrant, police said in the criminal complaint.
Troopers stopped him and found a purple stun gun and another reported stolen item in the stolen vehicle.
Curtis told police he had been drinking throughout the day.
He was arrested and taken to the Somerset County Jail for central booking to await arraignment following his arrest in the Seven Springs incident. He was searched before arrival at the jail, at which time he indicated he did not have anything else on his person or in his pockets that would be considered contraband and that he did not want to bring into the jail. He was given a "brief search" then by jail staff and once again asked the same question and gave the same answer, according to another probable-cause affidavit.
Twenty minutes later, state police were told contraband was found on Curtis.
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According to the affidavit in the Somerset case, "Once Curtis had entered the secure portion of the county jail, he received a full body in-depth search. During this search, six small plastic vials of a white powder-like substance was located in an inner concealed pocket of his jacket. When asked what the substance was, Curtis informed the staff, 'that's cocaine.'" Curtis was charged with the felony offense of possession of contraband/controlled substance and placed on a $10,000 bond.
In the Seven Springs matter, Curtis is charged with theft and receiving stolen property, felonies, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, driving while under the influence and making repairs/sell/etc. offensive weapon (related to the stun gun) misdemeanors. He was placed on a $50,000 bond in that case. Curtis remained Wednesday in the Somerset County Jail.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Suspect accused of taking items, car from Seven Springs lot
