A Tionesta man is in jail after allegedly taking a company vehicle without permission, crashing it into a creek, and trying to hide from police while intoxicated.
State police say Joaquin Lorenzo Montez, 38, wrecked a Dodge Caravan on July 12 in Washington Township. The van, registered to a local business, was found abandoned in a creek along Shetler Road. The business owner told police the van was not authorized for use and had been stored at a workshop. Troopers later found Montez hiding behind a shed near a residence where company employees live. He was wet, muddy, smelled of alcohol, and admitted to taking the van, claiming he crashed while avoiding a deer. He also lacked a valid driver’s license and had the van’s key in his pocket.
Montez is being held in Clarion County Prison on $50,000 bail and faces multiple charges, including unauthorized use of a vehicle, DUI, reckless driving, and interference with a police investigation. A preliminary hearing is set for July 22.
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