Joseph Ellis charged with stealing, crashing Uber driver's running car in Commack

A man stole a car belonging to an Uber driver who’d left it running outside a Commack restaurant, and then crashed it a short distance away Sunday night, Suffolk police said.

Joseph Ellis, 45, hopped into the 2012 Honda Accord, which had been left with its engine running in the parking lot on Veterans Memorial Highway, at 8:55 p.m., police said.

Ellis then crashed into a curb and a fire hydrant a short distance away. He left the car and fled into a nearby wooded area.

Ellis was located in the woods a short time later by a canine-unit officer and his dog, police said.

Ellis, who is homeless, was charged with two counts of third-degree grand larceny, as well as driving while intoxicated, police said. He had nine outstanding warrants.

Ellis was held overnight and faces arraignment Monday in First District Court in Central Islip. 

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”