A Schuylkill County man is facing felony theft charges after police say he stole an SUV that was left running to warm up in Schuylkill Haven last year. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Tony Weiss, 39, of Auburn, is charged with felony theft by unlawful taking, felony receiving stolen property, misdemeanor unauthorized use of motor vehicles, abandoning a vehicle on public or private property, and driving without a license.
Police in Schuylkill Haven say the incident was reported shortly after 7 a.m. on Feb. 18, 2025. The victim told police he started his silver Chevrolet Traverse outside a home on N. Garfield St. at approximately 6:45 a.m. He said he pressed the push-to-start button and went back inside the house, keeping the key fob in his pocket.
When the victim returned outside just after 7 a.m., the vehicle was gone.
The victim’s wife contacted OnStar, which located the vehicle parked on the side of the road on Walnut St. in Cressona. Police from multiple jurisdictions responded and found the vehicle unoccupied. Police canvassed the area and spoke to neighbors but found no immediate evidence.
Police obtained surveillance footage from nearby businesses showing the SUV traveling south on N. Garfield Ave., rolling through a stop sign, and cutting off another vehicle to turn north onto Route 61. Police say the camera footage was recorded from too far away to identify a suspect inside the vehicle.
Police processed the vehicle and located fingerprints on the B-pillar of the driver’s side door, the steering wheel, and the shift knob. Police gathered fingerprint and DNA evidence from the SUV before releasing it back to the owners.
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