STRASBURG TOWNSHIP, PA – A York County woman is headed to county court after authorities say she drove a stolen vehicle containing stolen firearms onto private property in Strasburg Township, entered a garage, and began picking peppers from a garden without permission.
Kimberly Yvonn Schwartz, 35, of York Township, waived her preliminary hearing before Judge William Benner on Sept. 18, sending her case to county court for trial.
According to prosecutors, Schwartz faces three counts of Receiving Stolen Property, two counts of Firearms Not to be Carried Without a License, and one count each of Burglary, Resisting Arrest, Agricultural Vandalism, False Identification to Law Enforcement, DUI, and Possession of a Controlled Substance, along with seven summary offenses.
The charges stem from an incident that took place late in the morning of Aug. 21 in the 900 block of Strasburg Pike, when a homeowner reported that a woman drove into their driveway, entered their garage, and used a bucket she found to pick peppers from their garden.
Vehicle tied to stolen firearms
Troopers determined that the vehicle Schwartz was driving had been stolen and was connected to the theft of two semi-automatic handguns. Using a photo provided by the victim, investigators located Schwartz within an hour in a nearby parking lot.
Confrontation and arrest
State police said Schwartz initially refused to identify herself, provided a fake name, and resisted arrest. She argued with troopers and had to be placed in a caged police vehicle for safety after continuing to struggle.
Inside the stolen vehicle, officers discovered a partially consumed bottle of alcohol and suspected methamphetamine. Investigators believe Schwartz was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time, though she refused chemical testing.
Firearms and evidence recovered
Both stolen guns were found inside the vehicle, along with drug paraphernalia. Police also noted Schwartz’s driver’s license was already suspended due to a prior DUI conviction.
Schwartz remains in Lancaster County Prison on $50,000 bail. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Erika Boyer filed the charges.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
