Unity gym regular accused of stealing car, purse after workout

Frequent gym-goer Britnee M. Silvis walked into the Planet Fitness in Unity on July 8, moments after workout regular Ryan Crawford had parked a red 2014 Mazda 6 outside, according to state police.

When Silvis left the gym a short time later at 7:06 p.m., the 31-year-old woman, who walks to the Laurel 30 Plaza facility from her apartment, grabbed the Latrobe man’s car keys from the check-in counter and drove away, troopers with the motor vehicle theft task force allege in court documents.

Troopers allege Silvis drove across Route 30 to the Walmart, where she attempted to obtain $250 cash, $200 in gift vouchers and food using credit cards she found inside the car. Troopers said Silvis dumped a purse she found in the car owned by a female friend of Crawford’s in the parking lot of Laurel 30 Plaza. Those items were recovered, trooper said.

Silvis was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Michael Mahady on charges of theft, receiving stolen property and access device fraud filed by state police. She was ordered held in the Westmoreland County Prison after failing to post $10,000 bail.

Trooper Jason Morgan of the Harmar-based state police auto theft task force reported in court documents that investigators linked Silvis to the theft using security videos from Walmart and Planet Fitness, and check-in logs at the gym. Police said managers at the fitness center recognized Silvis as a “regular” customer, in part, because of an elaborate sleeve tattoo on her left arm.

When Trooper Patrick Ruff and Morgan went to Silvis’ apartment July 10 to question her, Morgan said they were met by her mother, Venus Domenick, who reported Silvis was not there. When Morgan informed Domenick that troopers were investigating a car theft, court records say that Domenick provided police with text messages later July 8 that showed Silvis asked her mother to pick her up at a location in Greensburg.

Morgan reported that Silvis also texted her mother after the interview to report the car was still parked in a gravel lot near a bar along the 600 block of West Otterman Street in Greensburg, where she abandoned it when it ran out of gas and she had no money left.

“Silvis texted her mother, apologizing for the theft, and said she threw the keys under her dresser … she said it was a bad decision,” Morgan wrote in court documents.

Police reported the car was located in the parking area three days after the theft.

On July 11, Morgan said Silvis called him and “related the theft was an impulse mistake.”

Morgan also said that Silvis contacted Ryan’s friend via Facebook “apologizing for stealing the car and that she was cooperating with police.”

Planet Fitness did not return a message seeking comment.

An attorney for Silvis was not listed in court dockets.