Drunk NJ Men Break Into Police Van, Get Arrested

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on July 25, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

New Jersey partygoers Jeffrey Olson, 21, and Ryan Letchford, 22, got a little more than they bargained for early Saturday night while hanging out at a friend's house in Radnor, Pennsylvania.

In a fit of drunken revelry, the pair broke into a police van.

And then they couldn't get out.

They've since been charged with attempt to commit theft from a motor vehicle, public drunkenness, and criminal mischief.

Apparently, after coming across what can only be described as a paddy wagon, Jeffrey Olson and Ryan Letchford decided that it would be a great idea to take fake arrest photos of themselves, reports the Burlington County Times.

Not content to pose outside the vehicle, they broke into the police van for more authentic documentation.

Besides being illegal, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that they failed to recall that you can't unlock a police car from the backseat.

Luckily the paper reports that a very nice friend called Radnor police to help with their escape.

Into a nearby police cruiser.

While it's not difficult to see how this scenario smacks of mischief, what, exactly, is criminal mischief?

Criminal mischief statutes vary by state, but they tend to deal with the general destruction of property. This includes damage caused by graffiti, explosives, and in such a manner that it endangers another person.

It appears as though after they broke into a police van, Jeffrey Olson and Ryan Letchford put all their effort into breaking out, with the Inquirer reporting that their kicking caused some damage to the center partition.

Related Resources:

Copied to clipboard