Man charged with stealing same car twice in one week in extortion bid

A Pennsylvania man is accused of stealing the same car twice in a single week. Erich Simpson, 20, first stole the vehicle from the driveway of a home in Shippensburg on Oct. 24, police said.

The following day police found the vehicle without it’s keys and returned it to the owner. On Saturday the victim contacted police saying they found a letter from Simpson demanding $500 for the keys to be returned.

Authorities say the letter stated if the demands were not met the victim would never see the car again. According to police reports, Simpson returned to the victim’s home on Oct. 27 and took the car again. Officers were able to catch up with him in the stolen car and took him into custody.

Simpson faces numerous charges including theft by unlawful taking, theft by extortion and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was taken to Cumberland County Prison in lieu of $20,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 4.

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