Court documents indicate 42-year-old George Frantz Jr. pleaded guilty to one second-degree misdemeanor count of theft by unlawful taking on January 5, 2022.
As a result of the plea agreement, the following charges were withdrawn:
– Receiving Stolen Property, Misdemeanor 2
– Loitering And Prowling At Night Time, Misdemeanor 3
Frantz is currently free on $5,000.00 unsecured bail.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred in Punxsutawney in July of 2021.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint, around 1:38 p.m. on July 26, 2021, Punxsutawney Borough Police were dispatched to a business on West Mahoning Street for a report of missing lawn chairs.
The victim reported that the lawn chairs were stolen from the rear porch of the business. The victim told police that his video surveillance showed a large man entering his garage around 1:06 a.m. on July 26, then walking through the garage, up to the back porch, and removing the two lawn chairs.
The complaint notes the lawn chairs are valued at $150.00.
According to the complaint, the man is seen in the surveillance video then walked the chairs back through the garage and onto Mulberry Alley.
The victim provided police with screenshots of the suspect, as well as a copy of the video.
As the officer was leaving the business, he observed the same suspect from the surveillance footage standing at the front entrance to another business. The officer then approached the suspect, explained the situation, and asked for his ID, the complaint indicates.
According to the complaint, the suspect, identified as George Frantz, told police that he had lost his lawn chair and was walking by the business and thought the chair on the business’s back porch was his.
When police pointed out that he said he lost one chair but took two chairs from the business, Frantz reportedly stated he was sorry and would go back and get the chairs to return them to the owner.
Police were later advised by the victim that Frantz did return the chairs, the complaint notes.
The charges were filed against Frantz through Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock’s office on July 29, 2021.