Summit Hill man drives car into 3 homes, flees police
A Summit Hill man is facing multiple charges after he was involved in several incidents between Mahoning Township and East Penn Township over the weekend.
The first set of incidents took place around 3 a.m. on Saturday in Mahoning Township.According to police Chief Audie Mertz, officers were called to 1060 Upper Nis Hollow Drive at approximately 3 a.m., Saturday for a vehicle into a house's garage door.While en route, officers learned that the vehicle, driven by Jonathan Stefanick, 29, fled the scene, driving through the yard as it left.Minutes later, a second dispatch was received that a vehicle had struck a house at 160 Upper Nis Hollow Drive. At this house, the vehicle struck an exterior wall. The caller also reported that the driver of the vehicle entered one of their cars before getting back into his vehicle.When police arrived at the second location, the vehicle was leaving the driveway, traveling into the path of the marked police car. The officer swerved to avoid being struck. He then began to follow the vehicle with lights and sirens activated.Stefanick failed to stop and continued driving onto Dieters Hill Road, where he drove into a field. He then left the vehicle and fled on foot.Upon investigation of the vehicle, officers found additional damage not related to the impact with the two houses.After fleeing the Mahoning Township scene, Stefanick surfaced again in East Penn Township.According to State police at Lehighton, at 7:30 a.m. a 28-year-old female who resides on Horseshoe Lane, woke up and found Stefanick sleeping on her couch. He had entered the home through the front door and fell asleep.She woke Stefanick up and kicked him out of the residence. She then called state police.The victim and neighbors identified Stefanick as the individual involved. Stefanick ran off.He was taken into custody around 3 p.m. by Franklin Township police and turned over to troopers.An additional incident also occurred sometime early Saturday on Horseshoe Lane at a different residence.Troopers allege that Stefanick drove a vehicle onto the porch of a 46-year-old male and intentionally hit the victim's motorcycle that was parked on the porch area. The collision caused the motorcycle to be pushed back into the porch beam causing damage to the bike and porch.In the first incident in East Penn Township, Stefanick was charged with criminal trespass and in the second with criminal mischief.Charges have yet to be announced in the Mahoning Township incidents.Stefanick was arraigned before a district judge and committed to the county prison in Nesquehoning in lieu of bail.