09/01/15 Leesport, PA – Man Hitting Mailboxes Call – Man Punches Police Officer In Head – Steals Patrol Car – Crashes Patrol Car Into Dirt Embankment – Second Fight – Foot Chase – Tased

September 1, 2015

readingeagle.com

A Mohrsville man punched an officer and tried to steal a police car in Leesport, police said.

George A. Ferrer Motta, 19, of the 200 block of Callow Hill Road, is facing 17 charges including assaulting a police officer, vehicle theft, resisting arrest, criminal mischief and harassment.

The incident began shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday morning in the area of Nichols Street, police said.

Northern Berks Regional Detective Sgt. Brian Horner said Officer Angel Toro was called to the location after residents complained that a man, wearing no shirt and no shoes, was running up and down the streets hitting mailboxes.

Horner gave this account of what happened when Toro arrived on the scene:Toro found Ferrer Motta fighting with two other men on Abbey Lane. The men said they were trying to get Ferrer Motta to calm down.

Toro and the two men were able to wrestle Ferrer Motta to the ground. But, before Toro could get the handcuffs on, Ferrer Motta broke free and hit the officer in the right temple causing his glasses to fly off his face.After getting to his feet, Toro fired his Taser at Ferrer Motta.

He was hit and dropped to one knee.Toro then turned his focus to retrieving his glasses.That’s when Ferrer Motta jumped into the idling police cruiser and drove away toward Pine Street.

His brief tour came to an abrupt end after only a few blocks when he hit a dirt embankment at the intersection of Abbey Lane and Pine Street.

He ditched the cruiser and was heading toward Miriam Avenue when Toro caught up with him.

Ferrer Motta struggled away from Toro for a second time and began to run when Bern Township police arrived.

Officers cornered him in the 300 block of Miriam Avenue. But Ferrer Motta jumped on top of a parked car before he was caught.

It took three more Taser deployments to bring Ferrer Motta to the ground. He was then cuffed and shackled while he continued to spit on the officers.

Ferrer Motta was taken to Reading Hospital for evaluation and was arraigned late Tuesday before Senior District Judge Richard A. Gatti in Reading Central Court.

He was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $30,000 bail.