Dog, Tow Truck Stolen In Multistate Crime Spree

New York State Police chased two fugitives down in Columbia County Tuesday. They recovered a tow truck stolen in Pennsylvania and a pit bull stolen in Alabama. One suspect was arrested in New York and a second over the border in Massachusetts.

Troopers had responded to a 911 call at 1:30 a.m. about a three-car collision at the intersection of Route 22 and 295. They heard the driver of a tow truck had run a red light, then reversed to try to flee the crash scene and smashed into a car parked at a nearby repair shop.

They found a Ford F550 tow truck with a dog inside. The two men inside had run away.

Police found Steven P. Nance near the scene.

They found out the dog had been stolen in Montgomery, Alabama. They found out the tow truck had been stolen in Barnsville, Pennsylvania.

While investigating, troopers were notified that another vehicle had been stolen from near the scene of the accident and later had been recovered by police in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

About 11 hours later, state police received word of a suspicious person fitting the description of the tow truck driver in the area of the crash.

Searchers on foot with police dogs and in a helicopter swept the area. Five hours later they found the suspect walking down Route 22.

Now Jonathan Kimball, 31, faces a charge of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the 2nd Degree and Grand Larceny in the 3rd Degree, a Class D Felony.

Nance, 46, faces a charge of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the 2nd Degree, a Class C Felony.

Nance was arraigned in the Town of Canaan Court and remanded to the Columbia County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail over $20,000 bond. Kimball was arraigned in the Town of Claverack Court and remanded to jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail and $25,000 bond.

Troopers are coordinating with law enforcement authorities in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York as they continue to investigate this crime spree.