BURRILLVILLE – A Smithfield man was arrested in June after video surveillance from various locations in and around town reportedly showed him at the scene of three separate vehicle thefts, and also later using credit cards stolen during the incidents.
Jason Englehardt, 33, has been charged with three counts of larceny, two counts of fraudulent use of credit cards and two counts of injuring or tampering with vehicles in connection with the thefts.
The first victim, whose vehicle was parking on Irving Avenue, called Burrillville police on Monday, June 13 to report that items, including a credit card, had been taken from her car, and that the stolen card had recently been used to make a purchase at the Dunkin Donuts on High Street in Pascoag.
Surveillance video from the business reportedly showed a man with a beard wearing a surgical face mask and a sweatshirt with the word, “Tokyo,” had used the card.
The following day, officers responded to George’s Pizza for reports of a second vehicle larceny. The driver’s side window of the car had reportedly been broken, and the victim told police her purse – including $300 cash – had been stolen. Video footage of the incident was of poor quality according to police, but showed a man with a beard walking away from the car.
Police received a third report of a vehicle larceny on Monday, June 20, this time from a teacher parked at AT Levy Elementary School. A window of the victim’s car had been smashed with her purse also taken, and she told police her credit card had recently been used to purchase $334 worth of cigarettes at Sunoco on Douglas Pike. A second attempted purchase at Seasons on Douglas Pike was declined as the victim cancelled the card.
Video from both stores showed a man with a beard wearing a face covering and “Tokyo,” sweatshirt.
Police obtained additional surveillance footage from the Burrillville Town Hall Annex across the street from Levy school, where they observed a grey SUV drop off a man meeting the description of their suspect about an hour and 20 minutes before the crime was reported. A female driver is later seen speaking to the suspect by the town gazebo, and then leaving exactly as he exits the school property.
Officers tracked down the owner of the vehicle, a 30-year-old woman from Smithfield, who said she was only aware Englehardt had stolen a purse after he returned to her vehicle.
Englehardt was picked up by Smithfield police on an unrelated arrest warrant out of Central Falls. The state criminal database shows he has a long criminal history with multiple breaking and entering and larceny charges dating as far back as 2007.
He was released on a $5,000 surety bond and has a pre-arraignment conference scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 14.
