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

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

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 pleaded not guilty to the charges of driving while intoxicated and third-degree grand larceny related to Sunday's incident at his arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip on Monday, according to court documents. He also pleaded not guilty to charge of third-degree grand larceny related to an incident that occurred on April 10, according to court documents.

Ellis was held on $10,000 cash bail, $20,000 insured bond or $100,000 partially secured surety bond. He is being represented by the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society and is scheduled to return to court on Friday.

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.”