A Scranton man was taken into custody on Christmas Eve for stealing the grille from a disabled SUV. The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office reports 25-year-old Kyle Alan Abernathy has been arrested and charged with tampering with a motor vehicle, a simple misdemeanor. On Dec. 8, authorities received a report that a grille was missing from a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer that had ended up in the ditch. Witness statements helped identify Abernathy as a potential suspect. On Monday, Dec. 24, a deputy witnessed Abernathy driving on Highway 141 west of Coon Rapids and knew from previous investigations that he did not possesses a valid driver’s license. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and made contact with Abernathy, who admitted to taking the grille from the ditched vehicle with the intent to install it on another Trailblazer. He told law enforcement he had returned the grille, but the victim reports it was never recovered. Abernathy pled guilty to the charge at an initial appearance on Dec. 26 and was ordered to pay $65 in fines, a 35-percent surcharge and court costs.
