Police: Drunken driving suspect flees, then reports truck stolen

BY KIRK SWAUGER
The Tribune-Democrat

BUCKSTOWN November 30, 2007 11:09 pm

— Robert Sadlon apparently thought he had police fooled.
After escaping from an officer who had stopped his pickup for a broken taillight, Sadlon went home and reported his truck stolen, authorities said.
When the same officer arrived at Sadlon’s house near Stoystown, Sadlon had changed clothes and shaved his mustache, leaving a pale outline of the just-removed facial hair on his wind-reddened face.
Sadlon, 50, of Lincoln Highway, is accused of drunken driving, escape and related charges filed by Conemaugh Township police before District Judge Joseph Cannoni of Windber.
Sadlon could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.
He has been arrested twice before for drunken driving, most recently on Jan. 1, 2004, in Jennerstown, Somerset County Court records indicate.
On Thanksgiving night, township Officer Nathan Claycomb pulled over Sadlon’s pickup for a broken taillight shortly before 7 p.m. on Lincoln Highway near Buckstown Road in Shade Township, a court document said.
Police said Sadlon initially got out of the truck to ask Claycomb why he was stopped, and was told to return to the truck.
As Claycomb was calling in the vehicle’s information, he noticed Sadlon running away.
After a foot chase, Conemaugh Township police, Somerset Borough’s K-9 and state troopers were unable to locate Sadlon.
Later that night, authorities said Sadlon called township police to report his truck stolen.
When Claycomb arrived, he noticed Sadlon had changed clothes and shaved his mustache.
Police said Sadlon confessed to the charges during an interview at the police station.
Along with drunken driving and escape, he is charged with illegally operating a vehicle without a court-required ignition interlock system to stop habitual drunk drivers; resisting arrest; careless driving and two summary violations.