Police: William Penn man caught siphoning gas from salvage yard
WILLIAM PENN – A William Penn man was briefly held at gunpoint as he was caught in the act of siphoning gas from vehicles at a salvage yard, West Mahanoy Township Police said.
Shane Brode, 45, of 28 Mt. Olive Blvd., is facing several misdemeanor theft and trespassing charges for the incident.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Patrolman Mark Hysock, police were called to the Bykowsky Automotive salvage yard around 7pm on April 22.
The owner was setting up cameras in the yard and reported hearing a “ruckus from underneath a vehicle.”
Underneath the vehicle, he reported, was Brode with two large gas cans and two siphon hoses.
The owner held Brode at gunpoint until police arrived.
Brode told police “he just needed some gas,” according to the complaint.
Four separate vehicles has gas caps opened and that the yard had been secured earlier in the day as there had been issues with thefts.
The yard is entirely fenced in and the yard owner said Brode had gained access via the abandoned railroad tracks at the rear of the property, hopping the fence from there.
A preliminary hearing is set for May 16.
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