Troopers accuse Mt. Pleasant man of stealing car, resisting arrest

State police accused a Mt. Pleasant man of fighting with troopers and resisting arrest as he was being taken into custody on car theft charges over the weekend, according to court documents.

An area man drove to the Sherwin-Williams paint store in the Countryside Plaza in East Huntingdon around 10 a.m. Sunday and left his 2012 Hyundai Sonata running outside, Trooper Scott Genser reported. He returned to find the car gone.

Investigators used video surveillance and an iPad to eventually track down David Ewing Bradley. The 24-year-old was arraigned Monday on multiple criminal charges including criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, flight to avoid prosecution, receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle. He also was charged with driving on a suspended license.

Video footage from outdoor security camera at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant showed “a white male, donning brown boots, wearing baggy camouflage pants, a green-hooded sweatshirt, carrying a black strap bag over his shoulder” entered the white sedan and drove off, Genser said.

The car owner’s iPad also was in the vehicle, and troopers used the device to track its location to the 900 block of Mt. Pleasant Road, about two miles away just outside of Scottdale.

“(Bradley) matching the description of the suspect from the McDonald’s video surveillance was outside of the residence standing on the front porch. As he was taken into custody, he became combative and knowingly resisted arrest,” Genser reported.

No troopers were injured making the arrest, according to court documents.

Police also recovered a stolen laptop computer and Amazon gift card that did not belong to Bradley inside the car.

Genser reported the owner also reported the fuel latch and fuse box were damaged on the car while it was in Bradley’s possession.

According to court dockets, Bradley is awaiting trial on charges of simple assault and strangulation filed by state police for an alleged Nov. 16 assault in Mt. Pleasant Township and charges of possession of drug paraphernalia stemming from a March 2 arrest by state police in East Huntingdon.

Bradley was ordered held in the county jail on $25,000 bail. He did not have an attorney listed in court documents.