A Franklin man is facing several charges after admitting to stealing a truck when he was found to be sleeping on a Route 157 property.
Franklin state police said in a complaint that a woman contacted police on Wednesday and reported a theft at an estate that her law firm is handling.
The woman said the man who owned the property had passed away and his eldest son was in charge of the property, the complaint said.
On Thursday, the woman went back to the residence and found there were more missing items, which included a red 2004 Toyota Tacoma truck, a gray 2010 Honda CR-V, a John Deere riding lawnmower, and a 1949 gray Ford tractor and tools, the complaint said.
The woman said she went back to the estate and installed trail cameras in case of another burglary, the complaint said.
On Friday, the woman called police and said the Toyota that was stolen from the residence had just been driven back onto the estate, the complaint said.
When police arrived on the scene, they located the truck parked behind the barn, the complaint said.
As police were searching the barn, they found a man identified as Paul Long, 27, of Franklin, sleeping in the barn’s basement, the complaint said, and he was then taken into custody.
After a short questioning, Long admitted to stealing the truck on either March 28 or 29, but said he didn’t know anything about the other burglaries, the complaint said.
Long told police he “only drove the truck a short distance and parked it in the woods,” the complaint said.
He also eventually admitted he had been driving the truck and put, what he claimed to be, some of his belongings in the back, the complaint said.
Long told police the keys were in the ignition, but the woman said the keys were in the house on March 30, the complaint said.
After custody of the truck was released to the woman, she noticed “other items in the truck that she stated she had observed inside the house” on March 30, which contradicts Long’s claim that he was not in the house and also the dates of the burglary, the complaint said.
Long was charged with felony counts of burglary — overnight accommodation, no person present, criminal trespassing-break into structure, theft by unlawful taking — movable property, a misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property, and a summary count of trespassing by motor vehicle.
Long was arraigned Sunday and placed in Venango County jail after he was unable to post bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 13.
