Car Thief Found Slumped Over Wheel of Vehicle, Police Say

A Bensalem man's stolen pickup truck was found by police in a parking lot with one of the thieves slumped over the wheel, according to court documents.

Joseph Scoggins, 21, from Longmeadow Apartments, faces two felony counts of receiving stolen property and conspiracy after police say he and two other men stole a black 2010 Dodge Ram out of a Bensalem man's driveway Thursday night.

The victim reported the truck missing at about 8 a.m. Friday. He told police that the keys were hidden inside the truck's center console and that it contained more than $3,000 in tools used for his business.

According to police, the victim also said he received a phone call from a business owner in the Frankford section of Philadelphia who said she saw three men dumping the victim's personal belongings onto her driveway. She contacted Philadelphia police after the truck sped off, and officers found a wallet containing a driver's license for Scoggins among the discarded items. The business owner also identified Scoggins as the driver of the truck from a photo array, police say.

Later in the afternoon, Bensalem police were alerted to a parked, running vehicle at the Wells Fargo on Bristol Road with the driver slumped over the steering wheel. Officers at the scene confirmed it was the stolen Dodge Ram and identified the driver as Scoggins, according to the affidavit.

Under questioning, police say Scoggins admitted to drug use before he was arrested and named the two other people involved in the car theft.

Unable to post bail, Scoggins has been confined to Bucks County prison. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 7 at 1:30 p.m. before District Judge Joseph Falcone.