Hazleton man charged with fleeing, filing false report

HAZLETON CITY, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The Hazleton City Police Department announced Tuesday that a man was charged with fleeing and eluding police after leading officers on a chase with a dirt bike.

According to police on Monday, April 29, at 7:59 p.m. officers saw a blue dirt bike driving on Locust Street and attempted to stop the bike, but the driver fled the wrong way onto 5th Street at a high rate of speed, almost hitting several other vehicles.

Police say the bike went the incorrect way onto Alter Street, at which point officers lost sight of the driver, but stayed in the area to look and located it a short time later near Diamond Avenue and Locust Street.

According to Hazleton City Police, once the dirt bike driver noticed officers he again took off at a high rate of speed toward Alter Street, but lost control of the bike and crashed it.

After the crash, police say, the driver took off on foot toward Vine Street and officers lost sight of him, but the bike was recovered and police found a cell phone and the driver’s ID attached to the bike’s handlebars.

According to investigators, at 10:39 p.m. police received a report of a man being thrown to the ground in the woods and having his dirt bike stolen.

Investigators say police determined the bike that was reported stolen was the same dirt bike involved in the pursuit earlier that day.

Police said they identified the bike’s owner as Leudi Coste-Dicent and spoke with him about the alleged robbery but Dicent’s statements were inconsistent and there was no sign of an assault.

According to Investigators, police determined Coste-Dicent was the driver of the dirt bike from the chase earlier in the day and he was taken into custody.

Court documents state, that Coste-Dicent was arraigned on Tuesday, April 30, and his bail was set at $20,000 cash. Unable to post bail, police say Coste-Dicent was remanded to the Luzerne County Prison.

Coste-Dicent is facing charges of fleeing and eluding, flight to avoid apprehension, false reports to law enforcement, and several traffic violations.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, May 9, at 9:15 a.m.

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