A Lancaster County man has been detained after a peculiar chain of events where he reportedly crashed a vehicle into a home while hallucinating from drug use, then attempted to break into another property before ultimately being arrested. Felix Daniel Ortiz, Jr., 42, faces numerous charges stemming from the November 4th commotion in Manheim Township, as detailed by local authorities.
According to the Manheim Township Police, officers were summoned to the 400 block of Atkins Avenue following a loud crash that an on-duty officer heard. At the scene, they discovered a vehicle that had come to rest against the front of an occupied residence, its driver's seat abandoned. A statement acquired by Local21News conveyed that a witness had observed Ortiz fleeing after the collision. Additional information from WGAL included accounts of Ortiz attempting to break into a different residence, with homeowners supplying Ring camera footage to investigators.
Earlier on the same date as the crash, police had another encounter with Ortiz, where he was described as "running around in public nude" while apparently under the influence of PCP, a detail reported by WHP580. These run-ins culminated when officers conducting the crash investigation observed Ortiz driving back to the area in another vehicle, which led to a traffic stop and his ensuing arrest.
At the police station, Ortiz reportedly admitted to self-administering drugs by soaking cigarettes in PCP and inhaling the substance. "He explained that he was driving and began to see hallucinations, so he exited the vehicle while in motion. He attempted to get help, which is when he tried to get into the residence. He then went home and took a relative’s vehicle to return to the crash scene and get the crashed vehicle" according to a statement obtained by WGAL. Still in the throes of his hallucinatory experience, Ortiz expressed that he sought assistance when he attempted entry into the residence, later returning to the scene in a relative's vehicle in an attempt to retrieve the automobile that had been crashed.
After the incident, Ortiz was taken to Lancaster County Prison. He faces multiple charges, including two counts of DUI-drug, criminal trespass, two counts of driving under suspension (DUI-related), accident damage, reckless driving, and two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle. His preliminary hearing has not been scheduled.
