A Dauphin County man is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after allegedly stealing a car, driving it to State College and trespassing at two apartments.
Patrick J. Clegg, 39, of Oberlin, was charged on Sunday with felony counts of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and criminal trespass and misdemeanor counts of theft from a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance.
It started on Saturday when State College police received a call about a Toyota Prius parked in a West College Avenue lot for 10 hours with the engine running. Police said they contacted the owner in the Harrisburg area, who said he gave Clegg permission to drive the car to a local Toyota dealership on Wednesday but nowhere else and if he took it to State College it was stolen.
According to the criminal complaint, Clegg took the car to State College to meet his ex-girlfriend. After attempting to contact Clegg, police said they contacted his ex-girlfriend. She reportedly said Clegg told her he borrowed a friend’s car and was coming to see her and that they met on Friday. She was to meet him again on Saturday but he didn’t show up.
The woman told police she received a phone call from a witness that Clegg was sitting in a Prius in her driveway and refused to leave, according to the complaint. The witness reportedly said Clegg had been sitting there for about an hour and left after the witness told him multiple times to leave.
At about 4 p.m. on Sunday, police received a report from a West Beaver Avenue apartment resident who said he was home alone when a man, later identified as Clegg, entered the apartment and came into his bedroom, according to the complaint. The resident reportedly said Clegg told him he was running from the police and had been at the apartment the night before. The resident told police he didn’t know Clegg and later confirmed with his roommates that they didn’t know him either.
Clegg allegedly told the resident he was looking for his cell phone, and the resident stopped him when Clegg tried to open a drawer and a closet door. He then grabbed Clegg and escorted him outside before calling police and providing a description.
Police received another call on Sunday from a witness who on Saturday reportedly saw a man matching Clegg’s description knock repeatedly on a West College Avenue apartment door before opening the unlocked door and going inside for a few minutes. The witness spoke to the resident, who had not been home at the time, and she later told police she didn’t know Clegg or give him permission to enter the apartment. The witness called police on Sunday after seeing the same man again.
Clegg was found on Sunday on the 700 block of West College Avenue, where he was seen opening and rummaging through two Honda Civics, police said. He allegedly had taken a key from one of the cars and was stopped by officers while he was going through the other car. Police said he also was found to have a key belonging to an Oldsmobile. During a search, he allegedly was found to have a plastic bag containing clonazepam, amphetamine and dextroamphetamine pills.
He told officers that he had driven from Harrisburg and had permission from his friend to take the Prius that was found earlier in the day, according to the complaint. After being taken into custody, he allegedly said he drove the car to State College and admitted that while he was searching for the Prius, he went through another vehicle looking for his belongings.
Clegg was arraigned on Sunday night before District Judge Thomas Jordan and straight bail was set at a total of $85,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday
