CLARION, Pa. (EYT) &38211; An Emlenton teen who torched a car that was involved in a Perry Township hit-and-run crash is scheduled to be sentenced next week in the Clarion County Court of Common Pleas.

Court documents indicate that 19-year-old Bryce William Dittman, of Emlenton, entered a guilty plea for failing to control or report a dangerous fire.

Several other charges were dismissed, including a third-degree felony count of Reckless Burning or Exploding — Places Property Having Value that Exceeds $5000.00.

Dittman is currently free on $5,000.00 cash bond.

He will be sentenced at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 3, by President Judge James Arner.

Case Details:

According to a criminal complaint filed at Magisterial District Judge Jeffrey C. Miller’s office, Trooper Dubovi was dispatched to Bartow Road in Perry Township on March 25 for a report of a vehicle that had been burned and abandoned.

Upon arrival, Trooper Dubovi discovered a Mitsubishi Eclipse that had been destroyed by fire. A damaged PA registration plate was recovered from the scene by the property owner. The third letter of the plate was unreadable.

Hit-and-Run Crash Reported

On March 27, Clarion-based State Police received a call from a known man saying that he was involved in a hit-and-run crash on Route 368 on March 23 around 4:15 p.m.

The driver told police that the other vehicle involved in the accident was a Mitsubishi Eclipse which he believed was operated by Bryce Dittman.

Dittman Interviewed by Police

On March 28, Trooper Dubovi interviewed Dittman and another known male at Dittman’s residence. Dittman told Trooper Dubovi that he had been in possession of the Mitsubishi Eclipse since March 10 and was in the process of purchasing it from a St. Petersburg man, according to the criminal complaint.

The criminal complaint states that Dittman stated that his girlfriend was driving the Eclipse when it was involved in the crash on March 23. He said that she parked the car at the scene of the accident, and it was later stolen. The known male corroborated Dittman’s statement.

Dittman’s girlfriend later told Trooper Dubovi that she was not operating the Eclipse at the time of the accident. She stated that Dittman called her and told her that he crashed and “got rid of the vehicle,” the complaint continues.

After Dittman’s girlfriend saw a photo of the burnt Eclipse on his phone, Dittman admitted to her that he set the vehicle on fire, according to the complaint.

Other Upcoming Cases

Dittman will also appear in Clarion County plea court at 9:00 a.m. on January 3 for a misdemeanor count of Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia stemming from a July 12, 2017 Salem Township case.