HAMBLEN TWP. — A man whom local police were picking up on a Johnson County warrant for check deception picked up an additional criminal charge when he told police about a stolen vehicle and handed them the keys.

James A. Pruitt of Nineveh was arrested April 30 in the 4000 block of Hoover Road. Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Eggebrecht found him behind the house, his report said.

While placing him in handcuffs, Eggebrecht said Pruitt told him “the van” was a couple houses down across the creek and handed him a set of keys.

He told the officer that he knew police had been looking for the vehicle.

Eggebrecht found the dark red Chevrolet minivan in the next block; the residents of that home told the officer that Pruitt had brought it there. It was confirmed stolen out of Johnson County.

Pruitt was charged May 2 with auto theft, a Level 6 felony.