YORK COUNTY, Pa.-- UPDATE: Police have arrested a 15-year-old former junior firefighter after he allegedly stole a fire truck and rescue gear.
On August 12 around 1:20 a.m., police investigated a burglary from Strinestown Community Fire Company.
Surveillance video from the station showed that approximately 12:15 a.m., a juvenile man used a stolen Ford Explorer to push in one of the garage doors open at the station.
Next, a man wearing firefighting gear appeared and entered the rescue truck, started it and left the building.
Police received several reports of an erratically driven fire truck in central and eastern parts of York County.
A short while later, the truck was located stuck in a field off of Freysville Road in Hellam Township.
Witnesses told police that saw a man in firefighter gear leave the scene.
Officials were able to identify the teen as someone who had previously been a Junior Firefighter with the station.
At noon yesterday, the 15-year-old was located and returned to the Youth Development Center.
The investigation into this incident continues. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Northern York County tip line at 717.467.TELL(8355) or tips@nycrpd.org.
PREVIOUSLY: Northern York County Regional Police are investigating a case involving a stolen rescue truck and full set of gear from the Strinestown Community Fire Company.
Chief H.O. "Frosty" Wertz of the Strinestown Community Fire Company says the full set of gear and rescue truck were taken from the station around midnight on Sunday.
Chief Wertz said a juvenile broke into the station by driving a stolen vehicle into one of the garage doors, pushing that door back, and sneaking inside the building.
He says the juvenile took the rescue on a joyride, putting on the sirens and some lights.
The truck was recovered about an hour later in Hellam Township. The stolen helmet was found on-board, but the rest of the gear is still missing.
According to Chief Wertz, a juvenile drove the rescue into a muddy field off Freysville Road where it got stuck.
He says the rescue had to be towed.
Wertz says a full set of gear includes a helmet, pair of boots, a pair of pants and a coat. To replace a full set would cost roughly $1,200.
The rescue will be out of service for a period of time for police processing and to make sure that there is no damage.
There is no word on how the suspect got the keys to the truck.