Crime & fire.
The defendant was released without a probation violation hearing, police said.
An East Rockhill Township man was released from Montgomery County jail on Oct. 9, walked to a Gravel Pike business in Lower Frederick around midnight, found a truck hitched to a trailer with an excavator, with the keys in the ignition, and drove off with it, police allege in a criminal complaint filed Wednesday.
However, Lower Frederick Township Police said it was Charles Joseph Campbell Jr.’s arm tattoos that led to his arrest; through the help of his probation officer, Campbell was matched to the man captured on a surveillance camera inside the 2013 GMC Sierra 3500HD truck and on security footage at Sacks & Sons Excavating at 1207 N. Gravel Pike.
GPS in the truck led authorities to the parking lot of Lowe’s at 1001 S. West End Blvd. in Quakertown, where Campbell allegedly abandoned the truck and trailer, police said.
Campbell Jr., 56, of the unit block of Blue Rock Drive, Sellersville, was charged with felony counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property for taking the vehicles, which combined were valued at $92,500, according to charging documents. He also faces misdemeanor charges of theft from a motor vehicle for taking business credit cards from the truck, police said, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
On the morning of Oct. 10, police received a report of the stolen vehicles from the owner of the business. He told police GPS tracked the vehicles to the Lowe’s, where a Sacks & Sons employee confirmed it was on site. Richland Township Police secured the truck and trailer until it was removed from the parking lot and placed in a secure location in Quakertown, police said.
Surveillance footage at 11:50 p.m., authorities allege, shows a man wearing a white shirt, gray shorts, gray ball cap, and white shoes and carrying paperwork, walking north on Gravel Pike onto the property. Campbell, police said, walked across the lot and got into the GMC, departing at 11:51 p.m.
Lower Frederick police were given video of the internal dashboard camera, which recorded the entirety of the incident, police said. Per the complaint, Campbell was aware of the camera and even attempted to unplug it, damaging the cord.
The footage showed a clear picture of Campbell, including his heavily-tattooed left and right arms, police said. Upon issuing an Attempt to Identify report, a probation officer called to report that they recognized Campbell as the alleged offender.
Numerous arrests of Campbell noted his marks, scars and tattoos, police said. Authorities zoned in on two specific tattoos to tie the defendant to the crime: a black-and-gray cloud vortex on his right arm near the elbow crease, and a large black-and-gray spider web on his left elbow, police said.
According to Montgomery County probation, Campbell’s probation was violated due to a recent criminal arrest, and a judge released him without having his probation violation hearing, per the complaint. A Montgomery County detective at the jail confirmed Campbell was released at 4:21 p.m. and was returned clothing consistent with the outfit the suspect was wearing during the theft, police said.
Campbell is back at Montgomery County jail on $5,077 cash bail, which includes a probation detainer. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Maruice H. Saylor.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
