A New Wilmington man is charged with burglary and other offenses in connection with an incident involving Westminster College property.
Alan E. Bowen, 36, of 74 Bowen Road was charged by New Wilmington police as the result of a Dec. 4 incident at the Westminster College field station on Fayette-New Wilmington Road.
Just after 12:30 a.m. that day, police said, a college public safety officer discovered two full containers of gasoline along the road in front of the field station. While searching the area, the officer saw a vehicle without headlights fleeing from an adjacent private driveway.
The officer notified New Wilmington police, who attempted to stop the vehicle at the intersection of Route 208 and Fayette-New Wilmington Road, according to police. However, the driver refused to stop and police chased the vehicle west on Route 208, sometimes reaching speeds of more than 90 mph, they said.
The vehicle turned north onto Bethel-New Wilmington Road and continued at a high speed while officers pursued it, police said. The vehicle then turned into a private driveway, went through a back yard and into a swamp.
With the vehicle stuck in mud, the driver fled into nearby woods and escaped, said police, who discovered the it was registered to Bowen.
According to police, immediately after the pursuit Bowen contacted a friend, Jodi Watt of Sharpsville, and instructed her to report the vehicle as having been stolen from her home. Watt reportedly did so and has been charged by Sharpsville police with filing a false report.
Bowen also reported to New Wilmington police that the vehicle had been stolen, and claimed he had an alibi of being with another person in a Mercer bar. But police reported they had interviewed that person, who said Bowen had not been with him at the time of the incident.
In addition to burglary, Bowen faces charges of criminal trespass, theft, receiving stolen property, trespass by motor vehicle, fleeing/attempting to elude a police officer, driving without lights to avoid identification or arrest, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and false reports to law enforcement.
He was arraigned by District Judge Scott McGrath and placed in the Lawrence County jail in lieu of $20,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in Lawrence County Central Court.
