CLEARFIELD – A man accused of stealing a truck and reporting false accident to elude police was captured near DuBois on Wednesday.
According to the Lawrence Township Police Department, on Wednesday, a police officer from the LTPD initiated a traffic stop of a tractor trailer at the intersection of the off ramp of Interstate 80 and state Route 879. The truck failed to stop for a stop sign when entering SR0879.
The officer obtained the driver’s identification and the vehicle registration and insurance. The operator, Roberto F. Belgadillo, had a driver’s license and address from the state of Texas. At the time, Belgadillo was observed by police making a phone call on his cell phone. The police officer was then dispatched by County Control to an overturned tractor trailer near Sapp Bros. The police officer called Belgadillo’s information in to County Control, returned the information to the driver, then responded to the reported accident.
Police could not locate an accident at the dispatched location. The 911 operator also advised police that the trailor from the previous traffic stop was reported stolen in the state of Texas and that Belgadillo did not have a valid driver’s license. Police, suspecting that the driver also called in the false vehicle accident to 911, requested the surrounding police departments be on the look out for the tractor trailer.
An officer from the Sandy Township Police Department stopped the truck near DuBois and the LTPD responded. With the help of the STPD and DuBois City Police Department, Belgadillo was taken into custody. It was later learned that Belgadillo also had warrants for his arrest from Carlisle, Texas, and Tennessee. During their investigation, police were able to confirm that he made the false vehicle accident report to the 911 center.
The following charges were filed against Belgadillo at Magisterial District Judge Richard Ireland’s office:
theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, possessing instruments of crime, false swearing, false alarms to agencies of public safety, false reports to law enforcement agencies, criminal use of communications facility, disorderly conduct, obstructing administration of law, and several summary traffic violations.
