Lansdale Police. Photo by James Short.
Marlon Ramon Avila was found by police parked in a "No Parking" area at the business.
On Oct. 5, at 10:04 a.m., Marlon Ramon Avila, a 40-year-old Lansdale man with no fixed address and formerly from Colorado Springs, CO, and a female passenger allegedly pulled a stolen 2008 blue Toyota RAV4 into the car wash stall at C&J Automotive at 750 N. Cannon Ave. in Lansdale Borough.
Unbeknownst to Avila, in the stall right next to him, was an off-duty Lower Providence Township cop, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
The off-duty officer, police allege, watched Avila drive out of the stall, park in a “No Parking” location next to another car, exit the car, and get on his back under the vehicle.
According to the complaint, Pennsylvania State Police at Skippack confirmed via the VIN number that the Toyota was stolen. Furthermore, the registration on the RAV4 came back as stolen from a Chevrolet Equinox in Lansdale Borough, police said.
Upon arrival, Lansdale Police found the Toyota parked in the “No Parking” area and found Avila on the ground, police said.
Both Avila and his passenger were detained; Avila, police said, was identified through prior police contacts.
A vehicle inventory was conducted for valuable items, once the RAV4 was towed due to being on private property in a “No Parking” zone, per the complaint.
A small black bag was found hanging on the steering wheel column, and its contents included a prison ID card with Avila’s name and photograph, police said.
The inventory was stopped and the vehicle was secured until a search warrant was obtained, police said.
Police said the warrant uncovered other items in the bag: A folded, ripped piece of paper with eight white baggies stamped “Fly High” containing a white powder, suspected to be heroin, police said; an Altoid tin with five capsules of suspected crack cocaine; a clear baggies with suspected crack cocaine; 10 white baggies containing suspected heroin; an open pack of cigars containing a glass pipe with burnt ends used to smoke crack cocaine.
Avila’s passenger told police Avila was driving the car for two weeks, per the complaint.
Avila has been charged with felony and misdemeanor receiving stolen property, as well as two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia, per court records.
Avila remains at Montgomery County jail on $1,577 bail and a parole/probation detainer, per court documents. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 6 at 11:30 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
