Alex Romanchuk, 21, of Hartford, was charged with breaking and entering in the nighttime to commit a felony, larceny over $250, wanton destruction of property and trying to escape a warrant.
NORTHAMPTON — A man accused of stealing golf carts from the Three County Fairgrounds is being held on bail after police allegedly found him driving one of the carts in Florence.
Alex Romanchuk, 21, of Hartford, Conn., was charged Thursday in Northampton District Court with breaking and entering in the nighttime to commit a felony, larceny over $250, wanton destruction of property and trying to escape a warrant. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was ordered held on $10,000 bail.
Police say they received a call on Wednesday of an abandoned golf cart near Lia Honda on King Street. Officers reported having seen someone driving a golf cart on North Street previously. Police traced the cart to the Three County Fairgrounds, which reported that two of the four golf carts it had received for a horse show were missing from the arena at the fairground.
Meanwhile, a man was reportedly seen driving a second golf cart on Main Street, where he was trying to sell it for $20. Officers eventually stopped the cart on Florence Road and arrested Romanchuk, who tried to claim diplomatic immunity, according to court documents.
Romanchuk told police he and another man took two of the carts from the unsecured arena and said he had left some money behind for the vehicles, according to court records. No money was found, however.
Judge W. Michael Goggins continued the case to Sept. 5.