Man pleads guilty to escape
A Bedford County man, charged with escape from the Summit Academy reform school, pleaded guilty in Butler County Court on Wednesday.
Donald J. Chrisko, 19, of New Paris pleaded guilty in two cases to misdemeanor escape and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle before county Judge Timothy McCune.
The plea agreement calls for a sentence of 18 months probation, restitution, fines, costs and 50 hours of community service. He is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 30.
Chrisko was initially charged with felony theft, conspiracy to commit theft, misdemeanor unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and escape in the two cases.
Pennsylvania State Police said Chrisko and two 15-year-old boys escaped from the school on Herman Road in Summit Township on Feb. 19.
School staff chased after the trio and quickly caught one of the runaways, a 15-year-old boy from Masontown, Fayette County, but Chrisko and the other student, of Newport, Perry County, got away from the school for adjudicated youths and young adults in grades nine to 12.
At 10:30 a.m. Feb. 20, a homeowner on Beck Road — one to two miles from the school — discovered his red, 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee missing. The owner last saw the vehicle about 9:30 p.m. the day before.
The victim admitted that he had left the keys in the unlocked vehicle.
Police said Chrisko and the boy stole the vehicle and drove halfway across the state
Authorities on Feb. 21 recovered the stolen Jeep about 200 miles from the Summit Township facility at a home in Perry County.
State police in Perry County subsequently arrested the boy who escaped with Chrisko when they saw him come out of the house, documents said.
The owner of that home told investigators that her son was with the boy and Chrisko earlier that day, but that her son “had no knowledge the vehicle was stolen,” according to a police affidavit.
Police said the boy admitted driving the vehicle to the home in Perry County “because he needed a place to stay.” The youth also acknowledged that Chrisko was with him earlier that day but that he no longer knew where he was.
Chrisko was later arrested in March.
He was held in the Butler County Prison on a combined $110,00 bail, which was later reduced to $35,000. It was posted in June, and he was released.
