Charges have been filed in last month’s bus crash that damaged Yale’s Music Shop in Athens.
42-year-old Jason Wayne Houghtalen of Sayre faces the felony charges of theft by unlawful taking and criminal mischief, along with the summary offense of accident involving damage to an unattended vehicle or property.
Athens Borough police allege that Houghtalen was behind the wheel of the small bus when it crashed into the side of the building shortly after midnight on May 25. They say he stole it from the Dandy Mini Mart parking lot across the street.
Surveillance footage caught Houghtalen getting into the vehicle, speeding across the parking lot, and then colliding with Yale’s Music Shop.
Police were able to locate Houghtalen a few blocks north in the State Farm parking lot with the help of an eyewitness. He had bloody hands and was limping.
Police say Houghtalen, who has an intellectual disability, has a history of stealing construction equipment.
A skid steer along Susquehanna Street was reportedly driven in circles earlier that night.
Houghtalen was arraigned in District court and released on $100,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 17.
