A Schuylkill County man who tried running from police while he was wanted on an active warrant is now facing a retail theft charge for trying to steal ‘The Running Man’.
Thomas Kelly, who turns 41 today (May 23), of Norwegian Township, is now facing felony charges of retail theft and receiving stolen property.
Police in Saint Clair say they were called to Walmart on May 2 to review surveillance footage that allegedly shows Kelly – who is known to store employees from previous theft incidents – arriving at the store in a silver pickup truck. Kelly’s license to drive has been suspended since 2014, police note. Additional charges related to his driving to the store have also been filed.
Inside the store, Kelly allegedly walked to the electronics department and picks up copies of the Venom 3-movie collection on DVD and a 4K Ultra HD copy of The Running Man.
While in the beverages area of the store, police say Kelly is no longer holding the movies in his hand but his jacket was bulging in such a way that suggests he’d stuffed them under his clothing.
Kelly then leaves the store without paying for the merchandise, which is valued at $57.92, police say.
DUI Charges Filed Three Days Later
State Police say they arrested Kelly along Darkwater Rd. in New Castle Township three days after the alleged incident at Walmart. A Trooper alleges he found Kelly being attended to by another State Trooper and an unnamed witness while he was behind the wheel of a gray Buick Century.
Three doses of Narcan had to be administered to him at that time. The keys were still in the ignition of the running vehicle, police add.
In a cup holder in the center console, police say they found baggies containing suspected heroin and methamphetamine. While going in an out of consciousness, police say Kelly admitted to taking “some of the white stuff” that he believed was meth. He was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital for treatment.
Kelly Ran From Police While Wanted on Aggravated Assault Charges
Back in April, Kelly was apprehended when he allegedly led police on a foot chase through the woods as they were trying to arrest him on charges related to a prior incident in which he held a handgun to a woman’s head. He was also found with numerous fraudulent PA state inspection stickers, police say.
On April 1, police say they learned that Kelly had held a gun to a woman’s head and threatened to shoot her during a domestic altercation at his New St. home. Aggravated assault and related charges to the domestic altercation were dismissed against Kelly when the victim did not appear at a preliminary hearing.
Charges related to the alleged fraudulent inspection stickers were waived to Schuylkill County Court. Felony charges related to the foot chase that alleged occurred while police attempted to apprehend him were also waived to County Court.
RELATED: Schuylkill County Man Wanted for Pointing Gun at Woman’s Head Apprehended After Chase
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