Lebanon
Peter P. Dotzel, 36, was found on Main Street in West Lebanon around 2 p.m. on Thursday and taken into custody, police said in a Thursday night news release. He has been charged with theft by deception, a Class A felony, as well as being a fugitive from justice out of Pennsylvania.
Police said Dotzel drove a gray 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon off the Miller Auto Group lot last week with the expectation of returning to finalize the sale. However, he never returned and used fraudulent information to make the purchase, police said. The stolen Jeep was recovered in Fairlee.
In an earlier news release, police had asked for the public’s help in location Dotzel, who was believed to be driving either the stolen Rubicon or a newer style black Jeep Grand Cherokee with Pennsylvania plates.
Police also had asked for information regarding a female who was caught on surveillance footage accompanying Dotzel at the dealership on the morning of June 21. The pair came to the dealership and agreed to purchase the Rubicon, police said.
But on Thursday night, police said the woman had been identified and interviewed, and determined that she was not aware of the alleged fraud.
Dotzel, who has been known to go by Peter Smith, is wanted out of Pennsylvania for theft and fraud charges, as well as a parole violation. He was taken to the Grafton County House of Corrections and is set to be arraigned today in Grafton County Superior Court.