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LARKSVILLE — A Wilkes-Barre man was arraigned Thursday on charges he damaged several coin machines at a car wash in July.
Police allege Keith Hock, 26, of Kidder Street, caused more than $3,100 in damage at the Stop N’ Go Car Wash on Route 11.
According to the criminal complaint:
Owner Paul Furak reported July 22 he discovered several damaged coin machines and a screwdriver on the ground. Wires were pulled from the machines.
Surveillance cameras recorded a white Chevrolet occupied by two women and a man pull into the car wash at about 11:44 p.m. July 21 and park next to a vacuum machine in the rear of the wash bays.
Hock was recorded exiting the vehicle talking on a cell phone and walked to a pet wash room where he attempted to pry open a coin machine.
Two women, identified as Rachel Ann Senter, 20, and Courtney Lee Deschak, 24, both of Tunkhannock, also exited the vehicle. One of the women talked on a cell phone while the other used the vacuum.
Police suspect the women acted as lookouts as Hock attempted to open coin machines.
Hock was later recorded leaving the pet wash room and walking to the entrance of a drive-thru wash where he again tried to pry open three coin machines.
Police said one of the women drove the vehicle into a car wash bay as Hock continued to force open a coin machine in the same bay. As Hock tampered with the machine, he activated the wash cycle.
Officers later traced the vehicle to Senter.
She claimed they drove to the car wash and she stopped at a vacuum when Hock got out and began tampering with coin machines.
Senter said she cleaned her vehicle, and wasn’t aware Hock was breaking into machines but needed money for her kids. She told police they did some “meth” and went to several car washes.
Senter and Deschak pleaded guilty to summary counts of disorderly conduct and were fined, court records say.
Hock was arraigned by District Judge Brian Tupper in Luzerne County Central Court on charges of theft, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. He was jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $1,000 bail.
In an unrelated case, Hock was released from jail after posting $25,000 bail on Aug. 9 on charges he stole a vehicle on Kidder Street on July 23, records show.