MINERSVILLE - A Pottsville man remains free on bail after he was arrested Tuesday by Minersville police and charged with stealing a vehicle and setting it on fire in October.
Joseph M. Yurkonis, 19, of 506 Tunnel Road, was charged with two felony counts each of theft, receiving stolen property, arson and related offenses and criminal mischief. He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, and released on $25,000 unsecured bail.
Police said the charges against Yurkonis stem from a 1:40 p.m. Oct. 24, 2012, incident. According to police, Theresa Competus reported that she parked her 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo outside Rodnick's Discount Groceries on Pine Street with the engine running and ran inside the store. When the woman left the store, her car was gone and a group of men standing by a nearby Jeep Grand Cherokee were watching her.
Police said they obtained security video of the area that showed a man leaving the Jeep and walking toward Competus' car.
On Oct. 28, police said they were called to 561 Forest Lane to meet with a man who said he found a burnt vehicle at the rear of his home in a party spot known as The Levels. When officers went there, they found that it was Competus' car that had been destroyed by fire.
As the investigation continued, police learned several people had been bragging about the theft. On Dec. 7, police received information that Yurkonis was involved.
Police said someone reported being in the area of The Levels when Yurkonis said he had something to show them. Yurkonis took the person, whom police did not identify, to Competus' burnt vehicle and told how the theft transpired, police said.
Yurkonis said that after he stole the woman's car, he went to The Levels and was driving off-road when the car broke down, police said. Unable to keep driving, Yurkonis lit the car on fire and left the area, police said.
Yurkonis will now have to appear for a preliminary hearing before Plachko in his Port Carbon courtroom, police said.