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Harveys Lake residents warned of ‘scam letter’ being circulated

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Child-sex suspect hit with new child-porn charges

<p>ROSS TWP. &#8212; An 18-year-old man from Benton was arraigned Thursday on charges he stole a vehicle from an auto repair garage and initiated a pursuit with state police that ended in a crash.</p><p>State police said they arrested Elijah Matthew Schnee, of Old County Road, after he fled a Honda Civic that became disabled at Mossville Road and Route 118 during a pursuit that lasted about 40 minutes on Wednesday.</p><p>It was the second pursuit allegedly involving Schnee.</p><p>Troopers say they initially pursued Schnee on Tuesday night when he was seen driving a 2016 Ford F350 pickup truck reported stolen from Maransky&#8217;s Auto Repair on Main Road in Ross Township.</p><p>Schnee was allegedly seen on Route 11 in Shickshinny and managed to avoid troopers while fleeing on Route 239.</p><p>According to the criminal complaint:</p><p>Jeffrey Novitski reported his Ford was stolen from the auto repair garage on Tuesday. Novitski was driving to the garage to retrieve an item from his truck when he noticed his vehicle pass him.</p><p>Novitski later learned the truck was stolen.</p><p>Troopers spotted the Ford on Route 11 in Shickshinny at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. When a traffic stop was attempted, the driver turned into an oncoming lane of travel and managed to elude troopers in the area of Route 239 and McKendree Road.</p><p>State police allegedly learned Schnee used the Ford to transport several friends to a park in Shickshinny on Tuesday.</p><p>While searching the area of Schnee&#8217;s residence, troopers noticed him driving a Honda Civic, the complaint says.</p><p>Schnee initiated a pursuit that lasted about 40 minutes until the Honda was disabled.</p><p>State police said Schnee abandoned the Honda on foot and was arrested after a foot chase.</p><p>The Ford was recovered by Newport Township police near Arch and Wood streets in Newport Township.</p><p>Schnee was arraigned by District Judge Thomas Malloy in Luzerne County Central Court on charges of burglary, criminal trespass, theft, receiving stolen property, reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence, fleeing or attempting to elude authorities, driving with a suspended license and several traffic violations. He was jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $25,000 bail.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Man charged with stealing truck, initiating pursuit