Shenandoah man charged in theft of dirtbike
SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS – A borough man is facing felony theft charges after township police say he swiped a dirtbike from the Shenandoah Heights firehouse earlier this month.
Thomas Christensen, 27, of 339 West Centre Street, was charged Monday with felony theft and receiving stolen property charges.
According to the criminal complaint filed by West Mahanoy Township Police Patrolman Mark Hysock, police were called around 8am Sept. 19 for a reported theft at the firehouse.
A dirtbike — a 2022 KTM 250 — had been parked behind the firehouse and was seen being ridden off into the woods.
The same bike was found abandoned in woodlands north of Shenandoah later that day with the KTM stickers missing and with the rear white fender spray-painted orange.
The bike, police said, was worth $10,000.
Surveillance video was obtained from the firehouse showing two people — one wearing a bandana — approaching the bike and running off into the woods, pushing the dirt bike away.
A screen capture of that footage was sent to local news sources, including the Sentinel, which yielded an anonymous tip via phone call to township police identifying the bandana-wearing suspect as Christensen
Christensen appeared with township police for an interview Sunday. He told police he was wearing a bandana because “people don’t like him and want to beat him up.”
He said that a friend had a dirtbike and ATV stolen in Shenandoah and had offered a reward to anyone who could find the bike and believed the bike at the firehouse was that bike. The other man with him was a new friend whose name he didn’t know, he told police according to the criminal complaint.
He was arraigned Monday and released on $10,000 unsecured bail.
A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 10.
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