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Police: Man Stole Car with Young Girl Inside from Lewisburg Gas Station

LEWISBURG — A man is charged with theft, kidnapping, and robbery after police say he stole a car with a girl in the backseat from a gas station in Lewisbu...
christopher-ott

LEWISBURG -- A man is charged with theft, kidnapping, and robbery after police say he stole a car with a girl in the backseat from a gas station in Lewisburg.

It happened at Fuel On just before 9 p.m. Tuesday night.

Police say a man was pumping gas, with his 10-year old niece in the backseat of his vehicle. He ran inside to pay and that's when a man jumped into his vehicle and took off.

"He came inside, the guy, the owner came inside and the man in the hoodie just drove off with his car,” said Pradak Patel who works at Fuel On.

Cops say surveillance video showed the man responsible: Christopher Ott behind the wheel as he drove out of the parking lot and down the road the wrong-way.

The girl in the backseat says she was terrified and screamed repeatedly as the man drove. He told her to "shut up."

At one point, police say Ott damaged the vehicle turning around in a driveway.

"That's unbelievable. I didn't hear nothing about this until now. Crazy, man. I don't know where people are coming from anymore,” said Rick Poeth of Lewisburg.

Police say Ott drove the vehicle into the parking lot of a former CVS nearby. He got out and ran away. That's when the girl got out and ran back to the Fuel On where her uncle was still waiting.

"Things happen these days due to what's going on these days with the addictions and such. Most people ain't thinking anymore,” said Bill Monahan of Mifflinburg.

Police responded and even searched for the thief, but couldn't find him until a few hours later, when during a traffic stop, an officer noticed the passenger in the vehicle matched the description of the car thief.

Police say it turns out that man, Christopher Ott, was staying at the Days Inn, also close to the Fuel On and when an officer went into the room with Ott, he saw a prescription bottle filled with toothpicks, which had been taken from the stolen vehicle.

People are definitely thinking twice now when they're at the pump.

"I take my keys every time I go in, you can't do it no more. It's just not safe. I don't leave my phone in there or anything. Just lock it up,” said Poeth.

Ott is locked up on $150,000 bail.

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