BARRE – An arrest warrant has been issued for a Brattleboro man accused of making off with a flatbed truck from a Berlin business.
Ryan T. Sartwell, 41, failed to appear for his arraignment Thursday in Washington County criminal court in Barre on felony counts of burglary, aggravated vehicle operation without the owner’s consent, grand larceny and possession of stolen property, as well as misdemeanor counts of unlawful mischief, retail theft, credit card fraud, false pretenses or tokens, driving with a suspended license and leaving the scene of a crash.
If convicted, Sartwell faces a maximum sentence of 47 years in prison. Bail on the arrest warrant has been set at $5,000.
Officer Gabriel Wendel, of the Berlin police, said in his affidavit a vehicle was reported stolen from a business in Berlin on Oct. 16. Wendel said the company’s flatbed truck was stolen from the company’s parking lot the day before.
He said the truck’s GPS showed it had been left in Northfield.
Wendel said those at the company reported there was a camera inside the truck, which had been parked unlocked with its keys inside. He said the camera showed a male getting into the truck and driving through a gate in order to leave the scene.
Wendel said the male’s face was visible in the camera footage. He said the male, later identified as Sartwell, is seen in the footage driving the truck to Central Vermont Medical Center and parking it. He said Sartwell retrieves what appears to be an open beer can from the truck’s center console, takes the keys out of the truck and exits. Wendel said Sartwell is seen walking around a building at the hospital and returns a few minutes later without the beer can.
The officer said Sartwell then gets back into the truck, rummages through the vehicle and then puts on some work gloves from the vehicle’s dashboard and starts driving again.
He said Sartwell then drives the truck to the Cumberland Farms in Montpelier, where he gets out and goes into the store. Wendel said Sartwell gets back into the truck and drives to Main Street, where he parks the truck on the side of the road, grabs his backpack that was in the truck with him and exits.
Two hours later, Wendel said the footage showed Sartwell again driving the truck, this time back to Berlin. The officer said the footage showed Sartwell made a short stop where he appeared to check under the truck and then kept driving to Northfield.
Wendel said Sartwell drove to North Main Street where he hit a SUV with the truck and kept driving. He said Sartwell is then seen parking the truck behind a building on North Main Street and exiting.
Wendel said there was a company credit card in the truck, which Sartwell tried to use at the Cumberland Farms in Montpelier.
The officer said a news release was put out about this incident and an anonymous caller reported Sartwell had taken the truck. Wendel said a second anonymous tip also reported Sartwell as the male involved in the incident.
Wendel said a records check showed Vermont State Police had found Sartwell walking on Interstate 89 on Oct. 15. He said State Police provided Sartwell with a ride to Maplewood Convenience Store on Paine Turnpike North in Berlin. Wendel said an image of Sartwell taken from the trooper’s body camera showed Sartwell was wearing the same clothing as the male seen taking the truck.
Wendel said the records check also showed Sartwell’s driver’s license was suspended.
The officer said he reached out to those at Maplewood and was told surveillance footage there showed Sartwell stealing two cans of beer from the store.
Wendel said Sartwell was located by police in Brattleboro on Oct. 25 during an unrelated incident and cited him for the charges he is now facing.
eric.blaisdell @timesargus.com
