Mechanic charged with car accessories theft

An auto mechanic has expanded his skills from fixing cars to breaking into them. Alton Lodge apparently broke into a 1991 Honda accord early this past Saturday morning while the Honda was parked in front of Putt-Putt Bar and Grill on Newtown Barracks. Police, however, moved quickly and when Lodge was picked up they found him with a car stereo, battery and two video games. Twenty-seven year old computer technician Marvin Hyde identified the items as those taken from his car. According to Hyde, he left his car in the area of the Princess Hotel at about one-thirty in the morning and when he returned two hours later, he detected that the rear glass window of his vehicle was broken. But worse, when he got into the car and turned on his ignition there was no power. That’s when he discovered that the battery was missing along with the car stereo and two video games. Lodge was arraigned on three charges when he appeared in Magistrates’ Court: Theft, Handling Stolen Goods and Damage to Property. He took a not guilty plea and was offered bail of one thousand dollars. He is to return to court on November twenty-seventh.