From staff reports
An Oil City woman is facing a theft charge for agreeing to take a Franklin man’s vehicle to an automotive shop, missing the appointment at the shop, and failing to return the vehicle.
Franklin police said in a criminal complaint the man gave Natasha Shirey, 33, the keys to his vehicle on Thursday with the understanding she would take the vehicle to an inspection station on Bredinsburg Road for an appointment that day.
The man said he found out later that Shirey failed to take the vehicle to the automotive shop in time for the appointment but instead arrived about six hours late between 2:30 and 3 p.m. Thursday, the complaint said.
The man said he “made every effort not to involve the police”, including multiple attempts to contact Shirey by multiple means, according to the complaint.
He found that she had either blocked him on social media or taken down her page and after being unable to contact her he called police, the complaint said.
Franklin police tried to contact Shirey and left her a message and entered the vehicle into their system as stolen, the complaint said.
After police left her a message, Shirey contacted the man and told him where his vehicle was located, and he passed the information on to Franklin police, the complaint said.
While Oil City police were taking her into custody, Shirey “denied stealing the car and claimed to have borrowed it,” the complaint said.
Shirey has been charged with a felony count of theft by unlawful taking of movable property.
She was arraigned Monday, and her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 17 in Venango County Central Court.
