Man Charged With ‘Park-And-Steal’ in Highland

New York State Police have arrested a man who they say committed a crime, or just really misunderstood a sign.

The Times Herald Record reports that Joel Cruz from Poughkeepsie has been charged with fourth-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing a car from the park-and-ride in Highland this week. The lot, located at the intersection of Route 199 and 9W, is part of the Ulster-Poughkeepsie LINK that allows commuters from Ulster County to park for free and take a shuttle to the Poughkeepsie Metro-North train station.

For most, it's obvious from the sign out front that this is a parking area and not a car dealership. Police say Cruz decided to help himself to a car from the lot anyway and take it on a little "test drive." After the vehicle was reported stolen it was only a matter of time before police located it at a nearby gas station in Port Ewen. Witnesses pointed officers in the direction of the suspected thief and he was apprehended while walking along the side of the road towards Kingston.

Police sent Cruz to Ulster County Jail with a $10,000 bond and he is expected to appear in court on Thursday.