Blare Wallace, 32, of Hatfield Township.
A Hatfield Township man is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after he allegedly stole a vehicle and attempted to steal a second vehicle four days later.
According to the criminal complaint, Hatfield Township Police were dispatched to the Auto Zone along the 100 block of Forty Foot Road on Dec. 21, 2019, at 7:01 p.m. for a report of a vehicle theft. Upon arrival, the victim stated that their vehicle was stolen from the parking lot while the keys were in the ignition and the vehicle was left running.
The vehicle was recovered the following day from a parking lot along the 400 block of West Vine Street in Hatfield Borough. Police found blue wax paper and drug paraphernalia inside of the vehicle when it was recovered, the report states.
Then, on Dec. 25, 2019, police were dispatched to Pennfield Middle School at 12:30 p.m. for a report of an attempted theft of a vehicle that had been parked following an unrelated vehicle accident. The victim stated that when he returned to his vehicle, he allegedly saw a male—later identified as 32-year-old Blare Wallace—inside of the vehicle manipulating wires beneath the steering column, the report states.
When Wallace saw the victim approaching the vehicle, he allegedly fled the scene on foot towards Clemens Road, police said. Wallace was taken into custody a short time later, and told police that he was staying with a friend on Vine Street and denied having anything to do with the attempted vehicle theft, according to the report.
A search of Wallace allegedly revealed multiple empty blue wax papers, drugs and drug paraphernalia, according to the report. Police searching the area also recovered clothing belonging to Wallace, as well as the key for the vehicle that was stolen on Dec. 21, the report states.
Wallace later allegedly confessed to investigators that he stole the vehicle on Dec. 21, 2019, and was attempting to steal the vehicle on Dec. 25, 2019, according to the report.
As a result of the investigation, Wallace has been charged with felony counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, as well as misdemeanor charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, possession of an instrument of crime, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Wallace was arraigned on Dec. 26, 2019, by Magisterial District Judge Richard Welsh, who set bail at 10-percent of $10,000 cash. Wallace was then remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility after failing to post bail, and his next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Jan. 15 at 1:15 p.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine.
(Editor’s note: All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause, and reflects the point of view of the police. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
See also:
Hilltown Standoff Triggered By Woman Fleeing Attempted Rape, Man Arrested: Report
Hilltown Standoff Ends With One Suspect In Custody
Hilltown Police Searching For Missing 22-Year-Old Woman (UPDATE: Found)
Reward Offered In Hopes Of Identifying Driver Who Killed Dog In Hilltown Township
Police Seek Suspect After Dog Killed In Hit-And-Run Last Week
