A 42-year-old man, Carlos Melendez, Jr., has been arrested on theft, false identification and other charges stemming from an incident at Epworth Manor on Tuesday.
Tyrone Police were able to determine Melendez is a fugitive wanted by parole officials in New York City. Court documents list Melendez with an 8th Street address in Altoona.
In an affidavit of probable cause obtained by The Daily Herald, Tyrone Police Chief Joseph Beachem said his department was notified Tuesday of a theft at Epworth Manor. An employee told police a man ran into the manager’s office and took a wallet belonging to the manager. Police were able to obtain a description and learned the man left the building and entered a vehicle driven by a woman. The vehicle was reported heading south on Washington Avenue.
Police got a description of the car and a license plate number. A short time later the vehicle bearing the reported registration number was stopped on old Route 220 just south of the Bellwood Sheetz.
The car was registered to an Altoona woman, Sandra Miller. She was identified as the driver when the vehicle was stopped. Melendez was in the car and told police his name was Carlos Lopez.
A check of identity through a national computer registry showed he was wanted for a violation of parole in New York. The information also showed police his real name along with a long list of alias names used by Melendez.
He was told what the computer registry showed and he told police he uses other names to avoid being known by law enforcement. Melendez said he had been a member of a Latin gang in New York City. He told police he used the name “Lopez” because he may or may not be wanted in New York.
Police detained Melendez in a patrol car and questioned Miller about what the pair had been doing in Tyrone. She told police they were visiting Melendez’s aunt at Epworth. The woman was also asked if Melendez had stolen anything from Epworth and she told Chief Beachem that he did not steal anything from there.
Melendez was asked about the pair’s visit to Tyrone and he told police he and the woman were looking for a place for the woman’s grandmother to live.
Miller was asked if Melendez had thrown anything from the car and she replied “no”. Police asked her if her car could be searched and she consented to the search.
Money was found in the car and on Melendez. A receipt belonging to the Epworth Manor manager was also found in the car. Melendez was placed under arrest. Miller was also placed under arrest at that point.
Miller then told police Melendez had thrown a wallet from the vehicle near the Colonial Courtyard in Tyrone. The woman went back to Tyrone with a police officer and showed him where the wallet was located.
The wallet was retrieved and returned to the victim who told police the wallet had money in it when it was taken, which was no longer in the wallet.
Police also found a credit card and other items belonging to a woman from Altoona in Miller’s car. Police made contact with the woman who told police one of her wallets was missing along with some credit cards. The victim told police she thought the items had been taken from her workplace in Altoona. The victim said she would file a report with Altoona Police.
In an unsolicited statement, Melendez told police he had stolen the money and did not want Miller to be in trouble.
Melendez was charged with theft by unlawful taking, criminal conspiracy, receiving stolen property and false identification to authorities. He was arraigned on Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Joseph Moran and lodged in Blair County Prison on $8,000 straight bail.
Magisterial Judge Fred Miller arraigned Melendez on a fugitive from justice charge yesterday afternoon. His bail was set at $100,000 straight. Judge Miller said the fugitive from justice charge would be handled by the Blair County Court system.
New York authorities told Chief Beachem that they plan to extradite Melendez who is wanted on parole violation under the name of Jose Sanchez. Judge Miller said Melendez’s preliminary hearing for the charges related to the Epworth theft is scheduled for next Tuesday at 9 a.m.
The Altoona woman was released on a misdemeanor waiver on Tuesday and charges of conspiracy and theft were filed against her yesterday. Beachem said those charges are being issued by summons.
