CLEARFIELD – A fugitive wanted by multiple police agencies while on the run for 47 days is now in custody and facing burglary charges, according to court paperwork filed through Magisterial District Judge Richard Ireland’s office.
Justin Earl Craig, 30, of DuBois has been charged by Lawrence Township police with burglary, two counts; criminal trespass, two counts; criminal mischief; theft by unlawful taking; and receiving stolen property.
In a second case, he has been charged by police with burglary; criminal trespass; possession of instrument of crime; loitering and prowling at nighttime; and criminal mischief.
Craig’s bail has been set at $100,000 monetary. His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for July 13 during centralized court at the Clearfield County Jail, states online court documents.
According to the affidavit of probable cause in the first township case, on June 25 police were dispatched to a reported burglary at the Puff Super Value Tobacco Outlet at the Clearfield Mall. Police were advised it had occurred on the far eastern side toward the rear of the mall.
Upon arrival to the scene, officers proceeded to the rear entrance and located a heavily damaged double door with its locking mechanism detached. Once inside the suspect had proceeded to the tobacco outlet.
At the store, officers checked the roll-up security gate and determined it was still secured from the outside. However, they observed that a stock picking ladder was moved from its usual stored position to the point of entry near the store.
Officers subsequently observed a wall, which was composed of three to four sheets of paneling, and a single sheet was removed via a pry bar or large hammer.
Upon gaining access, the suspect had allegedly forced their way inside by breaking the store drywall and crawling over a shelf. Police said that while inside the store, the suspect had attempted to gain access to the drop safe located in the back closet.
The safe had been moved from inside of the closet to the middle of the store floor. The suspect had attempted to gain access by taking a pry bar to its door but was unsuccessful. The suspect had abandoned the safe and then removed several packs and cartons of cigarettes, according to the affidavit.
Additionally, police said a small metal lock box/safe containing $450 in start-up cash for lottery and store operations was removed from behind the counter. The suspect had allegedly removed 17 different scratch-off lottery tickets, which were on display on the counter.
The majority of the stolen tickets were high-priced games, and the store’s manager was able to void all of the tickets. Police were advised if someone would attempt to cash any of the stolen tickets, the store would receive notification.
In order to commit the theft, the suspect had allegedly emptied two garbage cans, removed the bags and filled them with merchandise. He then fled the scene through the hole in the wall.
The store had three security cameras in place and functional at the time of the burglary incident. Police requested surveillance video from the store owner.
While photographing and collecting evidence at the scene, police found three, long hairs tangled in the broken paneling. Police collected the hairs, logged them in as evidence and will send them to the Erie Regional Crime Lab for analysis.
Police later received a list of stolen lottery tickets from the Pennsylvania State Lottery Commission. Along with the list, police were notified about attempts to cash at BP Gas Station, Clearfield, and Snappy’s’ Convenience Store, and Fuel-On, Curwensville. Officers responded to obtain surveillance video.
At Snappy’s and Fuel-On, police viewed surveillance, and on both observed a tall male was entering the stores. He attempted to cash the stolen lottery tickets, which were deactivated and resulted in no cash being awarded. At Fuel-On, the store owner recognized the male as being a regular customer, and he was advised to call police if the male came in.
When police went to BP Gas, Clearfield, it was found the stolen lottery tickets were successfully cashed. On store surveillance video, the same male was observed by police cashing in the stolen lottery tickets and obtaining approximately $50 prior to leaving in a silver Hyundai Sedan.
Police were able to identify the male in the surveillance video. It was noted that this male had ties with Craig, who was involved in an alleged burglary in Reynoldsville Borough and who had escaped from police custody on May 18.
On July 2 police made contact with the male, and he agreed to an interview at the Clearfield Borough police station. Initially he told police he found the stolen lottery tickets in the garbage can at Uni-Mart on Bigler Avenue.
However, he later changed his story to finding the tickets along the roadway. Once advised of the surveillance videos, he provided a limited amount of information on Craig, who had given him the stolen lottery tickets.
The male denied any knowledge about a burglary at the Clearfield Mall. He admitted to helping out Craig with food and provided police with Craig’s possible location along DuBec Road near the Cobblestone Bridge pull-off. Police then released the male and responded to try to locate Craig.
After a short walk, police located a zipped up tent as described by the male. It was beside the water and well-camouflaged, but Craig was not there. Police located a small fire pit and observed an open pack of cigarettes in it, which was seized as evidence. Police noted the brand was the same as that stolen from the tobacco outlet.
On July 3 police made contact with the male with ties to Craig again and sought additional information from him. He eventually agreed to assist officers in locating Craig and advised he would attempt to get Craig to turn himself in.
Later the male arrived at the township police station with Craig. He turned Craig over to officers. Craig appeared to have been outside for some time, as his clothing was dirty and his arms/legs were heavily scratched. When asked by police, Craig declined medical attention.
Craig told police he was in Curwensville when he was picked up. All the burglaries he’d committed would have some type of DNA or blood evidence left behind, he said. Craig allegedly went on to say that he’d only committed commercial burglaries and not residential.
On May 30 Craig said he went to Mike’s Auto Repair to commit his first burglary that night. In all of the burglaries, he told police he used some type of tool. When he wasn’t able to enter the garage, he went to H&H Hardware.
Craig said at the hardware store, he made entry and was only able to take a small amount of change. While inside he hurt himself and there was a blood trail at the scene. Craig fled and went to Clearfield Tire, where he made entry but didn’t take anything.
Craig then fled that scene and went to the last business, Agway, and upon making entry, he removed cash from inside of the register. When asked, Craig allegedly admitted to burglarizing the Puff Super Value Tobacco Outlet and taking cigarettes, lottery tickets and cash.
According to the affidavit in the second township case, on May 31 township police responded to a reported burglary attempt that had occurred sometime overnight at Mike’s Auto Repair. Upon arrival the business owner told police his daughter had come in and found the door wouldn’t shut properly.
When she attempted to shut it, she had observed significant damage to the doorway, and it prompted him to contact police. The owner told police there wasn’t anything stolen from his garage since the suspect didn’t make full entry.
The investigating officer contacted Clearfield Borough police, while there had been numerous burglaries during the same nighttime hours, and they were similar in nature. Police examined the damaged door for fingerprints and evidence and identified a clear “horseshoe imprint” to the left of the door knob.
Borough police advised the township officer of a possible suspect who was Craig and that he was wanted for escaping the custody of Reynoldsville Borough police. The township officer requested information on the alleged burglaries that had occurred within the borough.
In an interview with police, Craig admitted to attempting to and or committing burglaries in Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township. He provided officers the incidents in chronological order and claimed he committed them because he needed to buy food and supplies while hiding from police.