Tag Archives: AUTO THEFT

My brother cut his house arrest bracelet off, how much time will he get?

Q: My brother was arrested for attempting to steal a motor vehicle. He got house arrest for 11.5 months. About four months in, he freaked and cut his bracelet off with a hacksaw and went drinking. He turned himself in two days later when his wife wouldn’t let him in the house. (Millvale, PA)

A: There is too little information here to give a thoughtful answer. I don’t know his prior record, whether he was charged for escape for cutting off his collar, whether the trial judge for the auto case revoked his bond, etc. My thought is that the trial judge revoked his bond and is going to let him sit a while and see if he is charged with escape for absconding house arrest. Turning himself in never hurts. If my assumptions are correct, I do not think the trial judge will reward him by granting a motion for him to return to house arrest again or alternative housing for the holidays. It may be Christmas in jail for your brother. He should ask his lawyer.

What should I do?

Q: My car was stolen by a 16-year-old boy, his sister and 3 men. The 3 men and the sister got away. But the girl left her Giant Eagle rewards card in the car. The boy totaled my car into a parked Salvation Army truck. The wreck knocked-out some teeth of one of them and they are still in the car. My child was traumatized. We were 3 feet away from getting in to the car, with Christmas packages when we realized someone was in it. What should I do?

A:  Obviously, this is a crime and therefore you need to report this to police. Get a copy of the police report. Contact your insurance company immediately and file a claim. They will need a copy of the police report. All insurance policies required the insured to report claims promptly. If some of the identities of these little reprobates are not known, the police should be able to track the girl with the Rewards Card and eventually she and all or some other reprobates will confess or rat out the others once the police start working on them and their parents. Oh, and give the teeth to the police. They can be tested for DNA if necessary. Also, they can be circumstantial evidence if one of the kids is missing any. As far as trauma for your boy, contact your health insurance provider to see if any mental health coverage is available for him.