Lancaster County man charged after alleged nighttime crime spree

LANCASTER, Pa. – A Lancaster County man faces multiple charges after police say he stole a car and numerous items from other unlocked vehicles last month.

Julius V. Ammarito, 20, of Millersville was charged after police used surveillance footage from Ring and other security cameras to determine that he stole several items in and around Lancaster Township on the night of July 23, according to Manheim Township police.

Police were dispatched after receiving a report of a shirtless man carrying a backpack attempting to enter several vehicles.

A person matching the suspect's description was encountered along Split Rock Road but evaded police by fleeing on foot, authorities said.

Later that night, police received a report that someone had stolen a 2009 Ford Escape from a home on Crooked Oak Drive. Surveillance footage from a nearby Ring camera showed the suspect to be the same man from the earlier report.

Police said they made five more calls for thefts from motor vehicles on the night of July 23. Video footage from those incidents showed the suspect matched the description of the original suspect.

Investigators reviewed the footage and shared their findings with the Lancaster County Auto Theft Task Force, who identified the suspect as Ammarito.

Police later obtained surveillance footage from a Sheetz store showing the stolen 2009 Ford Escape in the parking lot. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Ammarito, who was driving the vehicle despite having a suspended license, police said.

A criminal complaint was filed and an arrest warrant was obtained on August 2. Ammarito was taken into custody by the Lancaster City Bureau of Police on August 3.