Police: Pennsylvania man caps 3rd arrest in 3 days with tri-state car chase

An Eastern Pennsylvania man was arrested three times in three days in Allegheny County, capping off a suspected crime spree Monday afternoon by leading police on a car chase that spanned three states, court records show.

Shad Bocella, 24, was released from the Allegheny County Jail about 11:25 a.m. Monday and within half an hour stole a truck from a construction site in Pittsburgh’s Station Square, police said.

Bocella’s weekend began Saturday when he carjacked a woman washing her car on East Carson Street in Pittsburgh, according to a criminal complaint. A man later identified as Bocella approached the victim as she was washing the car, grabbed her and threw her to the ground and grabbed at her keys, according to the complaint.

The woman called out to her friend to grab the keys, police wrote. When she did, Bocella allegedly threw her to the ground before taking the keys and driving off. Police responded and found the stolen car about a mile away on Sharon Street near the Allentown/South Side Slopes border.

Over the next two hours, police said, they received multiple reports of similar attempted thefts, all by a man matching the description given by the first victim. Around 8:30 p.m., police responded to one of those calls in the South Side Works. Bocella was ultimately arrested after he tried to run from the area, according to the complaint.

He was charged with robbery, receiving stolen property and simple assault, court records show. He was arraigned about 4 a.m. Sunday and released on $2,500 unsecured bail.

Later that day in Elizabeth Township, police there responded to a report of man who taken another man’s vehicle and rode off into Versailles, according another criminal complaint. An officer found the man – who was ultimately identified as Bocella after giving multiple fake names – trying to break into a building on First Street in Versailles.

Police wrote Bocella was “clearly intoxicated” and he said he was on meth. A witness said he saw Bocella try to jump into a boat being towed on Donner Street in McKeesport.

Bocella first said his name was John Walk, then John Wlock and finally John W. Lock, according to the complaint. He was arrested as a John Doe and later identified. In that incident, he faces charges of theft, receiving stolen property, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and false identification to police.

Bocella was again arraigned and released around 11:30 a.m. Monday on his own recognizance, court records show. About 11:45 a.m., he turned up at the Station Square construction site and asked a man there if the crew was hiring. The employee told Bocella he’d have to ask the boss, and he was sure where he was, according to the complaint.

Bocella walked off, the employee told police, and he last saw him near the passenger side of the construction company’s Ford F-450, according to the complaint. Moments later, police said, the truck was gone.

A be-on-the-lookout alert was broadcast to police, and officers along Crafton Boulevard in Crafton Heights spotted a matching vehicle, according to the complaint. Bocella turned onto Ridenour Street and refused to pull over – though he did slow down, police wrote.

The officers attempting the traffic stop got out and approached the truck, which was making a three-point turn and now facing officers, according to the complaint.

One officer drew his weapon and ordered Bocella to stop to no avail, according to complaint. The officer ultimately fired at the rear of the truck, as it was within inches of him and trees and fencing kept him from getting any farther away.

From there, Bocella drove from the city into other Allegheny County municipalities, heading into Washington County, West Virginia and Ohio where he was ultimately stopped with “pursuit intervention techniques” by the Belmont County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office near Exit 1 on I-470 around 1:10 p.m. according to police.

It was not clear how the Ohio sheriff’s department stopped the vehicle.

For the final act of his long weekend, Bocella is charged with aggravated assault, theft, fleeing police and reckless endangerment. Pittsburgh police said he was also face charges in Ohio, though those were not immediately available.

It was not clear Tuesday morning where Bocella was being held or the amount of his bail.