Bristol Borough police apprehended a man last night after a short foot chase in an alley. The man charged with breaking into Take Five Video on Pond Street in Bristol Borough.
Joseph McCloskey Jr. was arraigned before District Court Judge Frank W.Pereanteau Sr. Monday morning on burglary, criminal trespass, prowling, possession of an instrument of crime and related offenses.
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Borough officers responded to an alarm late Sunday night at the rear entrance of the video store, finding the back door pried open and entry made to the popular video store, police say. A witness on the scene told officers she had heard a loud banging from an apartment that sits right above the rear entrance to Take Five, police say, and confronted McCloskey, 29, of Bristol, about the noise.
McCloskey walked away from the witness, however a description was provided to police saying the suspect was wearing a “black hoodie and ball cap,” court records say.
At about 1:30 p.m., Sgt Joe Moors observed McCloskey in the alley behind the video store. The suspect then dropped a bag in his hand and attempted to flee, police say, but Moors caught the suspect at the end of the alley placing him into custody, records say.
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Police conducted a search McCloskey and found a small black flashlight and red handled screwdriver in his hoodie. In the bag McCloskey dropped, while trying to avoid apprehension, was a hammer, chisel, two pairs of wire cutters, and five screwdrivers, the probable cause affidavit says.
During the preliminary hearing, McCloskey wearing a Philadelphia Eagles jersey and looking lethargic, seemed slow in responding to Parenteau’s questions.
Credit: Jeff Bohen/LevittownNow
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Two of the issues of concern for the judge was McCloskey’s current address and a balance the defendant has with Bristol for a number of parking tickets issued to him for a red truck he has driven.
McCloskey used to live at 626 Beaver Street – a home his father owned, he said, where fire occurred just about a month ago but not lives at 267 Madison Street.
McCloskey asked the judge for time served on the tickets but wasn’t pleased to hear that he would be required to serve 23 days to offset the fines he has yet to pay. Parenteau told the defendant that any days he serves while awaiting to be bailed out of jail for the criminal charges would be counted towards the balance he owes the borough.
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Bail was set at 10 percent of $100,000 and McCloskey was taken to Bucks County Jail where he’ll await his preliminary hearing set for October 2 at 10 a.m.
