Man on Stolen Dirt Bike Lead Police in Schuylkill County on Pursuit

Police say a man on a stolen dirt bike led them on a pursuit that started in Shenandoah and ended in Mahanoy City on Monday.

According to police in Shenandoah, Erickson Manuel Martinez Diaz, 23, of Hazleton (court records list his address as Mahanoy City), was riding a dirt bike that was reported stolen from Plainfield, Conn.

Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Diaz but the suspect fled the scene, headed to Mahanoy City. When he was finally apprehended, police say a search of his person found him to be in possession of controlled substances. 

Diaz is currently wanted on a bench warrant out of Luzerne County and he was operating the dirt bike on a suspended license, police say.

Arraignment was conducted before District Magistrate Judge Edward Tarantelli on Tuesday afternoon. Diaz has been charged with fleeing police and receiving stolen property, both third-degree felonies, and misdemeanor counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia, along with numerous summary offenses.

Tarantelli set bail at $100,000 cash, which wasn’t posted, and Diaz was remanded to Schuylkill County Prison. A preliminary hearing is currently scheduled for April 3.

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