A routine patrol turned into a arrest last week after an officer identified and stopped a stolen vehicle traveling eastbound on Interstate 276.
Rahmaan Karim Stewart, 49, of Reading, is facing multiple charges stemming from the incident.
On April 254, at approximately 4:14 p.m., an officer with the Pennsylvania State Police was on duty operating a marked patrol unit received an alert from the Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system. The alert flagged a U-Haul van with Arizona registration AH76741 as stolen. The officer confirmed the vehicle’s status through a CLEAN/NCIC database check and initiated a traffic stop near mile marker 344 in Upper Moreland Township.
During the investigation, authorities discovered Stewart had an active warrant for failure to appear. Confirmation of the warrant was obtained from the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.
Further verification from Wilkes-Barre Township Police confirmed the U-Haul had been reported stolen.
Stewart was taken into custody without incident. A search conducted during the arrest revealed a small amount of marijuana stored in a foil container labeled “Doctor Exotics.” The substance was collected and entered into evidence at the King of Prussia barracks.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
