Parks man charged with stealing man's truck, threatening to kill him

A Parks Township man accused of stealing and wrecking another man’s truck while driving under the influence threatened to kill the man if he reported the incident to police, according to a criminal complaint.

Michael Joseph Crocker, 21, faces charges of theft, receiving stolen property, victim intimidation and terroristic threats, Kiski Township police said. He remained in Armstrong County Prison on Monday afternoon after failing to post $25,000 bond, according to online court records.

The theft occurred early Saturday and the victim reported it to Sgt. Thomas Dessell the same day.

The victim told Dessell he and Crocker knew each other from school, and Crocker had been staying with him.

He also told the sergeant that Crocker took his truck from his driveway sometime after 12:30 a.m. Saturday. The victim had rented the truck from a car rental company and was the only one authorized to drive it, according to the complaint. The victim lives in Kiski Township.

The complaint said shortly after the truck went missing, a rollover accident was reported along State Route 156 in South Bend, Armstrong County. Kiski Township police assisted Pennsylvania State Police with that call.

Dessell said Crocker was the one who had been driving the vehicle involved in the accident, which matched the description of the stolen truck. Troopers arrested Crocker on DUI-related charges, and he was later released, the complaint said.

Crocker went back to the victim’s home later Saturday. He allegedly said he took the truck to buy drugs, and it had been totalled, then threw the keys at the victim before leaving, according to the complaint.

The victim said he didn’t initially believe Crocker, but saw that the truck was missing when he looked outside. He said he, Crocker and another man who had been staying with him drove to the accident scene, and then to the impound lot where the truck had been towed.

The other man told the victim that Crocker had threatened the victim’s life multiple times should he report the vehicle stolen, according to the complaint. The victim told Dessell he is scared of Crocker due to his unstable behavior stemming from methamphetamine use as well as a prior conviction for a violent act dealing with a firearm.

The other man also told Dessell that he believed Crocker would kill the victim should he report the theft to police. Both men said Crocker possesses firearms and is known to carry one.

Online court records show Crocker was sentenced to nine months to nearly two years in jail for carrying a firearm without a license, and two years’ probation for a simple assault charge in May 2019.

A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 30 before Magisterial District Judge James Andring in Leechburg. Online court records do not list an attorney for Crocker.