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Salesman threatened, van set on fire before arrest of dealership client, say cops.
Law enforcement officials from Plains Township look over the damage of a van that was burned in front of Coccia Ford in Plains Township Tuesday morning.
Don Carey/the times leader
John Walton of Scranton refuses to get out of a Laflin police car at the office of District Judge Diane Malast.
Aimee Dilger/the times leader
PLAINS TWP. – An ambulance garage became a courtroom Tuesday afternoon for a Scranton man accused of threatening to kill a sales consultant at an area car dealership.
That was the last act in a series of bizarre events that included a high-speed drive on Route 315 and a flaming van outside of the dealership’s showroom.
Laflin police allege John Walton, 58, of Wyoming Avenue, threatened Joseph Berretta, who was riding in Walton’s van to check if it had a transmission problem. Berretta is a sales consultant at Coccia Ford Lincoln Mercury in Plains Township.
When Berretta said he did not detect a problem, police said, Walton threatened to kill him and accelerated to 100 mph. Police said Berretta jumped out when Walton slowed to 20 mph on Route 315.
Walton then drove to the dealership on East Main Street, where he allegedly set the van on fire next to the showroom.
Walton, who received burns to his face, was apprehended at the dealership and refused medical treatment, police said.
When police drove Walton to the office of District Judge Diana Malast for arraignment, he refused to get out of the cruiser, prompting the arraignment to take place in the garage bay of the Plains Township Volunteer Ambulance building next to Malast’s office.
Malast walked to the garage carrying an umbrella and leaned into the cruiser’s window to arraign Walton, who was lying on the rear seat.
Laflin police charged Walton with making terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving and disorderly conduct. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $25,000 straight bail.
Walton said during his arraignment that if he is released on bail he will flee the area.
Plains Township police expect to charge Walton today with arson-related charges for the fire at the dealership.
Gregory Martin, general manager, said the Ford van was purchased at the dealership in April.
According to the criminal complaint:
Walton arrived at the Coccia dealership complaining about transmission problems with his van just before 10 a.m. Berretta left with Walton in the van, reaching 35 mph on Route 315. Berretta told Walton he did not feel a problem with the vehicle.
Walton then accelerated, telling Berretta, “You’re pissing me off.” Berretta pleaded with Walton to slow down. But Walton sped up to 100 mph, and told Berretta, “I’m going to kill you.”
Walton slammed on the brakes and skidded off the roadway, telling Berretta to “Get the (expletive) out of my van” when he was traveling at 20 mph.
Berretta jumped out and walked to Coccia’s collision center in Laflin, where he called police.
A preliminary hearing on the charges filed by Laflin police is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday before Malast.