Authorities say a Florida man who went by the name “Blaze” is now at the center of a disturbing motel case that started in New Cumberland and ended hundreds of miles away in Tennessee. The 37-year-old is facing a slate of felony charges after two men were found unconscious in a Fairview Township motel room in late January, with one victim landing in intensive care. Investigators allege he drugged the men, stole their SUV and ran up more than $2,000 in purchases or attempted purchases on their bank cards, all tracked through surveillance video, GPS data and financial records.
According to police, the two men had connected with a man using the name “Blaze” through a social app while looking for renovation work, and one of the victims picked him up at a Red Roof Inn on Eisenhower Boulevard. From there, they went to the Super 8 in Fairview Township, as reported by York Daily Record. A motel manager later found both men unresponsive in the room, and they were taken to UPMC Harrisburg. One victim ultimately needed a tracheotomy and an ICU stay. Police say a search of the room turned up no car keys, wallets or cellphones.
How investigators tracked him
From there, investigators followed the digital trail. Authorities say they used the Volvo SUV’s GPS to follow its path and matched transactions made with the victims’ cards to surveillance footage, including one stop at a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Bristol, Tennessee, according to FOX43. The SUV was eventually found parked at a home on Nantahala Drive SE in Cleveland, Tennessee, where the owners remotely disabled the vehicle so deputies could move in. Bradley County deputies say they recovered the victim’s identification, bank cards and vehicle keys from the suspect.
Charges and alleged thefts
Fairview Township police have charged Justin “Blaze” Bartlett with aggravated assault, robbery, theft by unlawful taking and access device fraud. Investigators say the stolen cards were used for more than $2,200 in purchases or attempted purchases, per York Daily Record. Police also note that a second victim separately reported a stolen bank card. Prosecutors set bail at $50,000 and scheduled a preliminary hearing earlier this spring.
Court status and extradition…