Daniel Jon Lewis, already a suspect in several crimes in January -- a period he was out of jail while awaiting sentencing on a prior conviction -- has been charged in a Jan. 25 incident involving a police chase of a Spectrum work truck.
Lewis is charged with: six counts of criminal mischief, 2nd; one count of criminal mischief, 4th; unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle; reckless driving; leaving the scene of a property damage accident; driving on a sidewalk; three counts of insufficient turn signal; and two counts of failure to stop for a stop sign.
Police say the Spectrum truck was stolen, perhaps by Lewis, from a residence outside the City of Batavia. After the truck was reported missing, a Batavia police officer spotted it on Washington Avenue. Lewis is accused of fleeing when the officer attempted a traffic stop.
Lewis allegedly drove to the end of Charles Street and then took the vehicle through multiple backyards of residences on Oak Street in an attempt to evade police. Lewis is accused of knocking down several fences, striking three parked cars, and a house. The incident reportedly caused more than $25,000 in damage.
Lewis then is alleged to have abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.
There were no injuries reported in the incident.
Lewis was arrested Jan. 25 and charged with a Jan. 1 robbery on Bank Street and is currently being held without bail on that charge.
On Dec. 6, he entered a guilty plea on a possession of stolen property charge stemming from an incident in May where he was found sleeping in a vehicle in Pavilion that contained stolen property along with another person.
There was a misunderstanding of the new bail reform rules that were about to take effect in New York during that hearing.
It's unclear if Lewis might have won release from custody while awaiting sentencing without that misunderstanding. But the assumption that Lewis would be eligible for release on Jan. 1 under terms of bail reform did factor into Judge Charles Zambito's decision to release Lewis under supervision of Genesee Justice.
Previously:
- Two people charged with possession of lots of stolen items in Memorial Day bust in Pavilion
- Man found with stolen property pleads guilty, released from jail pending sentencing
- Police looking for white male with long hair involved in stolen truck incident and chase
- Law and Order: Lima man accused of stealing vehicle on Clinton Street Road, Batavia
- Since being released from jail due to bail reform, man charged with two more crimes, person of interest in Spectrum truck theft
- New charges for man who allegedly went on crime spree after release from jail because of bail reform
- Criminal released because of bail reform faces another set of stolen property charges
- New charge filed against man released from jail after admitting to prior crime
