Two men arrested following a March pursuit from Schuylkill County into Berks County now each face 15 new charges tied to an alleged series of vehicle break-ins and thefts earlier that day in West Brunswick Township.
The September filings provide the first detailed public account of the incidents that allegedly preceded the pursuit. They also come after one of the men pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the original Berks County case, while the other man’s case remains pending.
The defendants are Sterno Leopol, 19, of Irvington, New Jersey, and Rushaun Akeem Daley, 18, of New York City.
New Schuylkill County Charges Filed
The new Schuylkill County criminal complaints were issued on and filed on , through the office of Magisterial District Judge Casimir T. Kosciolek.
Each man faces 15 charges:
- Seven third-degree felony counts of theft by unlawful taking
- Two third-degree felony counts of receiving stolen property
- Six second-degree misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief
March Pursuit Ended in Hamburg
Skook News previously reported that Leopol, Daley and a juvenile were taken into custody after a pursuit that began in Schuylkill County and ended in Hamburg Borough.
According to information released at the time by Pennsylvania State Police at Hamburg, troopers were advised that three males had reportedly been breaking into vehicles in the Orwigsburg area and had stolen a vehicle.
At approximately 3:50 p.m. on , a Hamburg trooper spotted the vehicle traveling south on Route 61 near Cabela Drive in Tilden Township and attempted a traffic stop.
Police said the driver did not stop, leading troopers on a pursuit along Route 61 through Windsor Township and into Hamburg.
All three occupants allegedly ran from the vehicle when it stopped but were quickly taken into custody following a brief foot pursuit. Tilden Township Police and Hamburg Borough Police assisted state police.
The March report identified the third person as a 16-year-old juvenile from the Bronx.
Following the arrests, Leopol was initially committed to Berks County Prison on $100,000 monetary bail, while Daley was committed on $1 million bail. The juvenile was taken to Abraxas Academy.
State police said at the time that additional charges were pending in Schuylkill County. The complaints filed September 22 appear to be those additional charges.
Daley Pleaded Guilty in Berks County
Berks County court records show Daley’s original case was resolved on before Judge Eleni Dimitriou Geishauser.
Daley pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property and fleeing or attempting to elude police, both third-degree felonies, along with a second-degree misdemeanor count of evading arrest or detention on foot.
He was sentenced to six to 23 months of confinement for receiving stolen property and another six to 23 months for fleeing police. The confinement terms run concurrently, resulting in an aggregate sentence of six to 23 months.
Daley received credit for 117 days already served and was found eligible for the Earned Time Reentry Program. He was also sentenced to two years of probation for evading arrest, to be served consecutively to the confinement.
The remaining charges, including flight to avoid apprehension, recklessly endangering another person, an accident involving damage to an attended vehicle or property, possession of drug paraphernalia and numerous traffic violations, were dismissed or withdrawn.
Daley’s guilty plea and sentence apply only to the Berks County case arising from the pursuit. They do not resolve the newly filed Schuylkill County charges.
Leopol’s Berks County Case Remains Pending
Leopol’s original Berks County case remains active.
His bail was initially set at $100,000 monetary on . On , it was changed to $50,000 unsecured bail, which was posted that day.
The charges proceeding against Leopol include receiving stolen property, fleeing or attempting to elude police, flight to avoid apprehension, evading arrest or detention on foot, recklessly endangering another person, an accident involving damage to an attended vehicle or property, and numerous traffic violations.
Several additional or duplicate counts were withdrawn.
Orders entered July 1 and September 2 continued the matter to later disposition hearings. His next disposition hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on before Judge Geishauser.
No guilty plea or final disposition is listed in Leopol’s Berks County case.
Affidavit Details Alleged Vehicle Incidents
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Pennsylvania State Police, troopers were notified at approximately 3:33 p.m. on March 7 that three males in a silver Kia were breaking into vehicles behind Auction Time Bid Board along Centre Turnpike in West Brunswick Township.
Troopers responded and began investigating. While at the scene, police received another report that three males had arrived at a West Brunswick Township residence in a silver Kia and attempted to enter a vehicle parked along Willow Road.
The affidavit states that Pennsylvania State Police at Hamburg later located the suspected Kia and attempted a traffic stop, leading to the pursuit that ended with Leopol, Daley and the juvenile in custody.
According to the affidavit, all three declined to provide statements. Police said the silver Kia displayed a Pennsylvania registration reported stolen through Pottsville City Police.
Police Detail Damage at Auction Time Bid Board
Investigators interviewed several vehicle owners at Auction Time Bid Board.
The owner of a silver Kia Forte reported that the driver’s-side door handle and steering column had been broken. The owner of a silver Hyundai Elantra found the driver’s-side door handle broken, while the owner of a black Hyundai Elantra reported similar damage.
All three owners told police that nothing appeared to be missing from their vehicles.
A witness told investigators he saw people around several vehicles before they entered the silver Kia and left the area. Police also obtained surveillance video from the business and entered it into evidence.
Vehicle Owner Reports Confrontation on Willow Road
At the Willow Road residence, a vehicle owner told police he heard a car alarm and initially thought it belonged to a neighbor.
When he looked outside, he allegedly saw someone sitting in the driver’s seat of his gray Kia Forte and a silver vehicle parked nearby. As he came outside, he saw someone leave his vehicle and enter the rear passenger seat of the silver vehicle.
The owner ran toward the group, but the silver vehicle fled. He then discovered that his driver’s-side door handle and steering column had been broken, according to the affidavit.
Hospital Video Allegedly Captured Additional Activity
Police also reviewed surveillance video from Geisinger St. Luke’s Hospital in West Brunswick Township.
According to the affidavit, security footage showed three males arriving in the parking lot shortly before 3 p.m. in a silver Kia and a black Hyundai Elantra. The three allegedly gathered around the trunk of the black vehicle before one person walked several spaces to a gray Hyundai Tucson.
That person was allegedly recorded pulling on the Tucson’s door handle and using a device in an attempt to open it. Police said the door eventually opened and the person entered before returning to the others.
The three left the hospital parking lot in the silver Kia at approximately 3:10 p.m., leaving the black Elantra behind.
The Tucson’s owner told police that her purse and wallet remained inside and nothing was missing. She reported, however, that the steering-column area had been pulled down, exposing wires and other hardware.
Investigators located the owner of the abandoned black Elantra. He told police he had last seen it parked outside his residence around lunchtime and typically left it unlocked with the keys in a cup holder.
The Elantra was processed by the Pennsylvania State Police Forensic Services Unit before being returned to its owner, according to the affidavit.
Restaurant Employee Reports Steering-Column Damage
Another vehicle owner told police she arrived for work at a restaurant around 10 a.m. and returned to her vehicle around 9:50 p.m.
After getting inside, she noticed that the driver’s seat had been moved farther back than she normally kept it and discovered that the steering column had been removed.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed a black vehicle and a silver vehicle pull alongside her vehicle at approximately 2:50 p.m.
The new Schuylkill County charges are allegations. Leopol and Daley are presumed innocent of those charges unless and until proven guilty in court. Daley’s guilty plea described above applies only to his separate Berks County case, while Leopol’s Berks County case remains pending.