California Man Trespassed at J.F.R. Salvage, Police Say

A California man who had $31,900 in a rental car and may be living much closer to the Lehigh Valley—perhaps Monroe or Northampton counties—was found with another man Sunday afternoon inside a Plainfield Township salvage yard, according to court records.

Police called a Northampton County assistant district attorney about Reginald Derrick Braddy, 29, who recommended that Braddy be charged with criminal trespass, a level-three felony, the records say.

Braddy, whose address is listed as Moreno Valley, Calif., about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, was committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail.

The other man was identified by the owner of J.F.R. Salvage as a former employee who was not authorized to be on the property.

A personal information sheet in Braddy’s local court file says he is living with his fiancée, whose cell phone number has a 570 area code. That area code serves Monroe County, parts of northeastern Northampton County such as Upper Mount Bethel Township and Portland, and other parts of northeast Pennsylvania, as well as areas farther west, such as Williamsport.

The records say Braddy is wanted by police in Aiken, S.C., for a larceny offense, but that extradition is limited to states surrounding South Carolina.

Braddy’s personal information sheet says he has faced charges involving theft and marijuana in South Carolina and Georgia. It also says he owns a clothing store in California.

The records also say the former J.F.R. employee is wanted on a felony drug offense. However, there is no indication in Braddy’s file or online court records that the man has been charged in the salvage yard case or with drug offenses.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Plainfield Township Officer Brian Roddick:

—Township Officer Scott Zabriskie was driving in the 6500 block of Sullivan Trail around 4 Sunday afternoon when he saw the former employee in front of the J.F.R. yard. Zabriskie knew he was wanted on a felony drug offense.

—Zabriskie made contact with a state police trooper who was in the area. Both officers went up to the fence surrounding the salvage yard and saw the former employee and another man—later identifed as Braddy—near the back of the facility where scrap metal is stored.

—The officers took the men into custody and received an OK to search Braddy’s rental car. Zabriskie found $31,900 in cash.

—Police contacted J.F.R. owner Joe Raimo, who identified the ex-employee. Raimo said he did not know Braddy but that Braddy did not have authorization to be on Raimo’s property.

Braddy was arraigned and committed to prison early Monday by on-duty District Judge John Capobianco of Nazareth.