Police Say Suspect Who Fled Also Carried Out Jewelry Store Burglary

Middletown Township police have identified Christopher Nicholas Plytas Jr. as the suspect in a September burglary at a jewelry store in the Langhorne Square Shopping Center.

The burglary of Michael Jeweler’s at 1321 East Lincoln Highway happened at 8:12 a.m. on Sept. 27, police said.

At the time, investigators said a large amount of jewelry was taken. No dollar figure was released.

By Sept. 28, investigators had developed Plytas, 46, of Falls Township, as a suspect and linked him to the U-Haul truck used during the burglary, according to police.

The truck was recovered later that morning at the Racquet Club Apartments in Middletown Township and impounded.

Plytas fled from Falls Township police on the morning of Sept. 28 while driving a stolen Home Depot truck into Middletown Township, police said.

The vehicle was later found by Middletown Township police on First Street in the Langhorne section of the township and impounded, authorities said.

According to police, Plytas has a history of fleeing from police and putting the public at risk.

Police said he has a criminal history involving burglaries in Middletown in 2000 and 2001, as well as another burglary in 2010, followed by additional police contacts.

The 46-year-old man has also had similar contacts with departments in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, police said.

After obtaining search warrants and a follow-up investigation, a criminal complaint for the jewelry store burglary was filed Wednesday.

A warrant was obtained for Plytas’ arrest in connection with the store burglary.

At the time, police said, he was also wanted by Upper Southampton Township police, Falls Township police, the Pennsylvania State Parole Board, and other agencies.

The U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia Fugitive Task Force, which was already tracking Plytas, found him at a self-storage center near the Philadelphia Mills Mall Wednesday afternoon shortly after the Middletown Township arrest warrant was issued. He was taken into custody without incident, police said.

“Once [Supervisory Deputy for the Marshals Fugitive Task Force Robert] Clark’s U.S. Marshals team start searching for a targeted wanted suspect, the suspect should just turn themselves in, as their arrest is imminent,” Middletown Township Detective Lt. Steve Forman said.

Plytas was arraigned at 4:20 p.m. before District Judge Brian Marriott on charges of burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, theft by unlawful taking, two counts of receiving stolen property, possession of controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility in Doylestown Township in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Plytas had been the subject of a search following a Sept. 28 incident in which he fled from Falls Township police after a high-speed pursuit, authorities said.

Plytas has recent convictions for a theft case in Bensalem Township and served time for a 2024 assault conviction in Falls Township, according to court records.

The U.S. Marshals Service transported Plytas to the Upper Southampton Township Police Department following his arrest for processing.

During the arrest of Plytas, federal officials arrested 48-year-old Skipper Wiesner of Morrisville, who authorities said was wanted on multiple failure-to-appear warrants issued by the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office.

“Once again, the strong partnership between the U.S. Marshals Service and our Bucks County law enforcement partners has resulted in the successful apprehension of a wanted fugitive,” Clark said. “Our agencies remain committed to working together to make our communities safer.”

Publisher Tom Sofield contributed to this reporting.

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.