A Falls Township resident is being credited with stopping an alleged thief.
According to court papers, an Echo Lane resident awoke around 12:30 a.m. Thursday to use the bathroom. While looking out the window, the male resident noticed his vehicle’s interior light was on and someone was rummaging through his property.
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The resident rushed outside and confronted the suspect – later identified as Brian Craig Panagos, 21, of Bristol Township’s Levittown section. The two men got into a scuffle when Pagagos tried to leave and the resident pinned Panagos to the ground until Falls police arrived, an affidavit of probable cause states.
Panagos allegedly tried to offer the resident $200 cash to let him walk away before police arrived.
Upon speaking with an officer, Panagos said he was in the vehicle looking for a place to sleep. His cell phone was found under the resident’s car and his power cord was found on the rear bumper, police said.
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The resident suffered scratches on his face, chest and other parts of his body from the scuffle. Panagos was evaluated by medical professionals after complaining of injuries, a police official told LevittownNow.com.
Panagos was charged robbery, reckless endangerment, simple assault, theft from a motor vehicle and related offenses. He was arraigned by District Judge Jan Vislosky and sent to county lockup on 10 percent of $175,000 bail.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
