Police: Man tried to steal car with children inside

A Lehighton man faces charges of attempting to take a vehicle with children inside.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by patrolman Joel Gulla of the Lehighton Borough Police Department:

At 6:14 p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to the 300 block of North Second Street for a report of a man attempting to take the caller’s vehicle that had three young children inside.

Gulla responded to the scene and spoke with a woman who said that she stopped to pick up her son from her mother’s house.

The victim said she stopped the vehicle in the roadway and placed the four-way flashers on and got out of her car and left the other two children in the car.

While placing her son in his car seat on the passenger side rear of the vehicle, James Luckenbaugh, 33, whom she didn’t know, opened the driver’s door and sat in the driver’s seat.

Fearful that he was going to take her vehicle with the children inside, the victim ran to the driver’s side, opened the door and pleaded with him not to take the car as there were children inside.

After a short argument, the victim said the man got out of the car and admitted he was going to take her vehicle.

He admitted the same to police when they arrived.

Police searched Luckenbaugh and found two syringes, one empty; a white glassine packet with a stamp; and a piece of aluminum foil containing a small amount of marijuana was found in his right front pocket.

At the police station, Luckenbaugh admitted he knew the vehicle he entered did not belong to him and that he planned on taking the vehicle.

He also admitted to being on oxycodone and marijuana at the time.

Luckenbaugh faces charges on two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and one count each of criminal attempt, theft by unlawful taking, unauthorized use of automobiles and other vehicles, and possession or delivery of a small amount of marijuana.

He is currently incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000 bail, and is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 16 before District Judge Eric M. Schrantz of Jim Thorpe.