Man Allegedly Caught Dusting, Peed Pants While Getting Arrested at Schuylkill County Gas Station

A man is facing criminal charges after he was allegedly found dusting an electronics duster behind the wheel of his vehicle at a Schuylkill County gas station earlier this summer.

State Police in Frackville say they were dispatched to the Turkey Hill in Rush Township on July 15 for a report of a blue Pontiac that was parked at a pump for more than two hours. The person behind the wheel was reportedly huffing a substance from an aerosol can.

As police arrived at the scene, they reportedly saw Joseph Sniscak, 39, of Nesquehoning, sleeping behind the wheel of a blue Pontiac GTO. No one else was in the vehicle at the time. In Sniscak’s hand, police say, was  can of Spray-X Electronics Duster compressed gas spray.

The keys were not in the ignition at the time police arrived.

Police say they witnessed Sniscak inhale the contents of the electronics duster can twice through his nose and then fall back asleep.

Sniscak was awakened by police and asked what he was doing. He reportedly turned to the passenger seat and say, “We’re going home.” Police say he looked at the passenger seat once more and started having a conversation with an imaginary person.

Sniscak then turned to police and reportedly said, “We’re flying.”

He then reportedly made motions as if he were going to start his vehicle. Police say they told him not to start his vehicle. Sniscak reportedly responded by telling police that if they reched into his vehicle, there would be a problem. He then grabbed his manual gear shifter and sid, “It’s going to be (bleepin’) fast.”

Police say they asked Sniscak to get out of the vehicle multiple times. Instead, he once again grabbed his gear shifter and deactivated his emergency brake. He then once again reached for the ignition. Worried that he’d start his vehicle and drive into the Turkey Hill, police say they physically removed Sniscak from his vehicle.

As police took Sniscak into custody, he reportedly peed his pants.

Police say they noticed eight other cans of electronics duster on the passenger-side floor of his vehicle.

However police say that upon consultation with the Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office, it was determined that testing for difluoroethane, the substance in electronics duster cans, is complex and since there was no physical evidence that he was operating the GTO while intoxicated, it would be difficult proving a DUI charge against Sniscak.

Instead, Sniscak was charged this week with smelling/inhaling toxic substances and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors. He’s been ordered to appear at a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Stephen Bayer on Oct. 14.

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