web1_llws.jpg

Larksville’s Madison Chacko set to sing national anthem at Little League World Series

web1_123392675-1966978a6fe543c69ae2b6b43b645334.jpg

Dale Earnhardt Jr., family ‘safe’ after plane crash

<p>LEWISBURG &#8212; The Nanticoke man charged with two central Pennsylvania carjackings last week stole his first car in Wilkes-Barre the day before he arrived in Union and Northumberland counties, according to court documents filed in Union County on Thursday.</p><p><a href="https://www.dailyitem.com/news/local_news/update-additional-charges-reveal-carjacker-stole-vehicle-from-wilkes-barre/article_2ec07d27-13c9-5d08-8581-3bb6bae4d91e.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Daily Item reports that Michael Coombs, 29, was charged in two more separate cases on Thursday with four more criminal </a><a href="https://www.dailyitem.com/news/local_news/update-additional-charges-reveal-carjacker-stole-vehicle-from-wilkes-barre/article_2ec07d27-13c9-5d08-8581-3bb6bae4d91e.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">charges</a>: a felony county of receiving stolen property and a summary count of retail theft in the first case; and three misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and theft from a motor vehicle in the second case. This brings his total criminal charges up to 26 across four cases.</p><p>Trooper Brian Watkins identified Coombs on surveillance video entering the parking lot of the Walmart outside Lewisburg in a blue 2008 Hyundai Elentra at 8:08 a.m. Aug. 5. Coombs entered the store, changed into clothing from the store and left without paying for the new clothing, valued at $67.64, at 8:23 a.m. He left his clothes inside the store along with the keys to the vehicle he was driving, police said.</p><p>Coombs left the vehicle in the parking lot. Inside the vehicle was a card with Coombs&#8217; name on it, his wallet, his driver&#8217;s license and a license plate to a vehicle that is registered to him. The car was stolen from a Turkey Hill in the Wilkes-Barre area on Aug. 4, police said.</p><p>The vehicle was towed to PSP Milton where it was released to the owner, police said.</p><p>At 11:08 a.m. Aug. 5, Coombs stole a phone from a 1997 GMC pick up truck at the Sheetz parking lot in Kelly Township, police said.</p><p><strong>Two carjackings followed</strong></p><p>At some point after stealing the phone, Coombs was transported by an ambulance from the intersection of Westbranch Highway and AJK Boulevard near Sheetz to Evangelical Community Hospital. He later walked out of the hospital while bleeding and left the phone inside the building, police said.</p><p>At 1:15 p.m. Aug. 5 in the parking lot of the McCann School Of Business &amp; Technology in Kelly Township, Union County. Coombs claimed to have a gun when he approached a female driver and took her car.</p><p>Later at 3 p.m., a second driver was in her vehicle along Route 405 in Delaware Township, Northumberland County, when police said Coombs told the woman he had a weapon. Following a short struggle, police said Coombs forced the woman out of her car and drove north on Route 15.</p><p>Watsontown police encountered the stolen vehicle near South Williamsport and Coombs was taken into custody following a pursuit and several crashes, police said.</p><p><strong>Prelim, arraignment</strong></p><p>Coombs waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Thursday in front of Senior Magisterial District Judge Richard Cashman in Lewisburg on the first carjacking in Union County. He was arraigned immediately after in front of Cashman and then arraigned on the second carjacking in Northumberland in front of Milton District Judge Michael Diehl at 3 p.m. His combined bail across all four cases is $307,500.</p><p>Coombs has not yet been charged in the carjacking from Luzerne County.</p><p>Coombs, who remains a Union County Prison inmate, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 4 in front of Diehl for the second carjacking. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the two new cases in Union County at 11 a.m. Sept. 12 in front of Cashman.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_tweeeeez.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Accident or crime scene cordon tape, police line do not cross. It is nighttime, emergency lights of police cars flashing blue, red and white in the background</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_tweeeeez.jpg</photo0><caption0>Accident or crime scene cordon tape, police line do not cross. It is nighttime, emergency lights of police cars flashing blue, red and white in the background</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Justin Strawser</p><p>jstrawser@dailyitem.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Police: Nanticoke carjacker stole vehicle from Wilkes-Barre