Drunk Man Apologizes For Stealing Car Following 2nd Arrest In 90 Minutes
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HEMPFIELD (KDKA) – Police say a 19-year-old man told them he stole a car because he needed a ride home just 90 minutes after police dropped him off at his house.
Anthony Bittinger, 19, got to know Greensburg Police very well and very fast.
Around 12:45 a.m., Bittinger was found with a small amount of marijuana, alcohol and drug paraphernalia in an alley near Perry Avenue.
After charging Bittinger with possession and underage drinking and processing him at the station, Greensburg Police decided to drop him off at his home.
"He lived close by, so they just let him go back to his residence," Greensburg Police Capt. Robert Stafford said.
It wasn't long before police encountered Bittinger again.
"About an hour and a half later, one of our officers was in the area patrolling and heard a very loud vehicle in the area and a lot of smoke," Stafford said.
The officer tried to pull the car over on Perry Avenue, but the driver took off down the street, crashing into multiple vehicles, until the car became disabled.
The driver jumped out and was captured after a short foot chase. Police discovered the driver was Anthony Bittinger.
"The vehicle he was driving was a vehicle that he had just stolen," Stafford said.
Police weren't convinced by his excuse.
"[Bittinger said] he was sorry for stealing the car, but he needed a ride home," Stafford said.
Held in the Westmoreland County Jail on $85,000 bond, Bittinger faces a number of serious felony charges.
Greensburg Police say Bittinger may hold the dubious honor of being arrested the most times for the most offenses in less than 2 hours.
