3 Arrested After Repo Attempt
3 Arrested After Repo Attempt
An alleged repossession of a vehicle turned bad, resulting in three men being arrested by Sebring police a few days after the original incident.
Timothy C. Tuel, 54, of 55 W. Carol St., Alliance, turned himself in to police at 11:50 p.m. Thursday, where he was arrested on a warrant charging him with felonious assault, a second-degree felony; attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fifth-degree felony; and aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor. He was transported to the Mahoning County Jail to be held without bond. Timothy Tuel’s concealed carry permit was was confiscated.
John L. Tuel, 51, of 185 W. Indiana Ave., Sebring, was arrested at 11:39 p.m. Thursday at his home on a warrant charging him with attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fifth-degree felony; and aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor. He posted a $3,750 bond and was released.
Donald S. Burns, 46, of 111 Lindimore St., Minerva, turned himself in to police at 2:22 a.m. Friday, where he was arrested on a warrant charging him with attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fifth-degree felony; and aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor. He posted a $3,750 bond and was released.
According to the police report, on March 12, Detective Chad Redfern was dispatched to the area of 12th Street in reference to a repo attempt gone bad.
When the officer arrived on the scene, he found a maroon Ford Focus standing erect in a ditch and several cars parked in a parking lot a few houses down with several people standing outside the vehicle arguing.
The report stated, “I got out of my cruiser and was bombarded by John Tuel, Timothy Tuel and Donald Burns who were all three yelling at me at once.” Redfern ordered the three males to cease and desist and to tell him one at a time, what happened. However, the men began screaming obscenities at another male, standing the background near his house, identified as the subject of the repossession.
According to what the men told Redfern, they were attempting to repossess a vehicle while it was on West Pennsylvania Avenue. The male subject got into that vehicle and took off, pursued by all three charged men. The male subject told police these drivers repeatedly rammed into his vehicle and attempted a pit maneuver twice, on each side of the vehicle.
The state highway patrol was called to the scene but the trooper said it was not a crash but a malicious act and the state would not accept the incident. The trooper advised Redfern to be conscious of a violation of misuse of dealer plates.
On March 14, the state investigator contacted Redfern and said there was never a repossession title issued or a request to obtain a repo title that would be needed to repossess a vehicle.
On March 15, Redfern contacted the male subject, who stated he had been at the hospital all night and wanted to pursue charges against the three men. The prosecutor approved the charges and warrants were issued.
All three suspects are set to be arraigned Thursday, March 28 in Mahoning County Court No. 3.
