Two Schuylkill County men are facing charges that they stole five vehicles and more from a business in West Brunswick Township last month.
One of the suspects is also accused of leading police on a chase through Pottsville in one of those vehicles. And the other, police say, was found slumped over drunk in a vehicle with a potentially stolen registration plate earlier this month.
According to court documents, the following suspects are facing myriad felony charges from multiple incidents in the last few weeks:
- Christopher Schoffstall, 38, of Pottsville
- Tyler Tonitis, 35, of Auburn
Police say the following five vehicles were stolen from A+ Auto Towing Sales:
- Black Acura Integra
- White Subaru WRX
- Red Chevrolet Sonic
- White Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Black Jeep Grand Cherokee
Police say they responded to the auto business in West Brunswick Township on April 21 for a reported burglary. The owner of the business reportedly told police that the shop was burglarized sometime between April 17 and that day.
Sometime between those two dates, the owner says someone forcibly made their way into the business, ransacked the office, and stole numerous tools from the lot.
Police say their investigation revealed that someone pushed in an air conditioning unit of the front door to enter the main office. The office was then ransacked and a key box was removed from a wall with a crowbar.
Five sets of keys to vehicles were taken from the business, police say, and the vehicles were stolen.
On April 26, police were again summoned to the same business for another reported burglary.
This time, police say, a window was smashed to get inside and a computer monitor, registration plates, and tools were taken.
Police once again heard from the owner of this business on May 2. They say he reported that other items stolen between April 17-28 included tools, about 200 business checks, the paperwork for the stolen vehicles, various electronics, and a sawed-off shotgun.
Damage to the business is estimated at $75,000.
Police believe they were able to catch up to the suspects, Schoffstall and Tonitis, by the suspects’ own missteps following the reported burglaries.
Schoffstall, in a separate set of charges, is accused of leading police on a circuitous chase through Pottsville’s East Side in that stolen Acura Integra late last month. A preliminary hearing on those charges was continued on May 12 and has not yet been rescheduled. He remains in Schuylkill County Prison on $100,000 cash bail in that case.
On May 5, police responded to a call just after 4:40 p.m. in Norwegian Township. There, they say Tonitis was slumped over in the front seat of a Dodge Dart that was still running, in the wrong lane of Deer Park Drive, and facing oncoming traffic. Police say there was an empty Arnold Palmer beverage on the driver’s side floor and Tonitis was clearly intoxicated.
The vehicle he was driving had an unregistered plate on it. During an interview with Tonitis at the State Police-Schuylkill Haven barracks, police say he admitted to being a co-conspirator in the thefts at A+ Auto Towing Sales.
Tonitis is facing 29 felony charges related to the incidents at A+ Auto Towing Sales while Schoffstall is facing 19 felonies.
Tonitis waived his right to a preliminary hearing on those and other charges and remains in Schuylkill County Prison on $125,000 cash bail.
Schoffstall is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the burglary charges on May 27 before Magisterial District Court Judge AJ Serina. He’s in prison on $100,000 cash bail in that case.
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