On Tuesday April 21, 2020 at approximately 1038 hrs. a Detective from Reading (Berks Co.) was in the area of New Dauphin St. at S. Reservoir St. to follow up on a stolen vehicle case from that jurisdiction. When the Reading PD Detective arrived he saw a 2019 Honda HRV parked and occupied by (3) people. The Detective knew that the vehicle had been reported stolen to Lancaster Bureau of Police on April 13, 2020. That same HRV had been seen in Reading on a previous date after it had been reported stolen. 

The Reading PD Detective contacted Lancaster Bureau of Police Det. Will Smith and LCWC to notify them that he found an occupied stolen vehicle. Members of Platoon D responded to the area and coordinated a response to contact and detain the occupants of the vehicle. (3) juveniles were located inside the stolen vehicle. All (3) were taken into custody and transported to the Lancaster Bureau of Police station. The vehicle was brought to the station for processing. 

As a result of this investigation all (3) juveniles had Allegations filed against them before Lancaster County Juvenile Probation. A (17) year old female was released to the custody of a parent under Electronic Monitoring. A (16) year old juvenile male was detained at the Youth Intervention Center (YIC). A (15) year old juvenile male was detained at YIC. All (3) were charged by Det. Smith with Theft By Unlawful Taking (F3), Receiving Stolen Property (F3), Criminal Conspiracy- Theft By Unlawful Taking (F3). All (3) juveniles are residents of Lancaster City.

At 1211 hrs. a resident on the 100 blk. Euclid Ave. contacted dispatch after observing an unknown juvenile male enter and steal a neighbor's 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The witness provided a description and direction of travel. As Officers responded to the area they were told that the suspect had abandoned the stolen vehicle and was on foot. As Officers established a perimeter the suspect was observed running and jumping rear yard fences. 

A neighbor in the area was able to detain the suspect for the Officers that were chasing the suspect. The suspect was found to be a (15) year old male resident of Lancaster City. 

As Officers spoke with witnesses and victims they learned that the suspect had been observed in the area on a bicycle just prior to the vehicle theft. The suspect had also been in possession of a bag. That bag was later recovered by Officers that retraced the path of flight that the suspect took through the rear yards. The bag was found to contain items that were determined to have been stolen from parked/unlocked vehicles in the area. The bicycle that the suspect rode to the area was determined to have been stolen from am unlocked shed in the area. 

Det. Smith filed an allegation against the juvenile suspect before Lancaster County Juvenile Probation, charging him with Theft By Unlawful Taking (F3), Receiving Stolen Property (F3) and (2) Counts Theft from Motor Vehicle (M3). The juvenile was detained at YIC.

Later that evening (April 21, 2020), Platoon A responded to (2) calls for Theft from Motor Vehicle.

One incident occurred on the 900 blk. Union St. sometime between Friday April 17, 2020 and April 21, 2020. In that case a firearm was stolen from an unlocked vehicle.  

The other incident occurred on April 21, 2020 at 0330 hrs. A surveillance camera recorded images of (3) unknown males as they entered a parked/unlocked vehicle to the rear of residences on the 1100 blk. Union St. 

Those incidents are under investigation.

In all of these incidents, the vehicles that were stolen were left unlocked and had a spare or valet key left inside.The vehicles that had items stolen were left unlocked with valuable items inside. The Lancaster Bureau of Police would encourage residents to lock their cars, do not leave a spare key in vehicle and remove all valuable items inside vehicles.