Bellefonte man signs Clearfield County plea agreement in robbery

The trial for a man accused of robbing an elderly woman and leaving her taped to a kitchen sink was canceled after he signed a plea agreement Monday.

Christopher James Handte, 26, faces several charges as a result of his actions on Feb. 20, 2015. According to the police, he stole a vehicle that he later set on fire, and then he lied to an elderly woman to gain entry to her Morrisdale home. After he had a cup of tea with her, he allegedly tied her up with duct tape and left with her cash and vehicle. The victim remained taped to the kitchen sink until she was discovered the next day.

Handte’s three-day trial was scheduled to begin Monday morning in Clearfield County Court, but prior to the start, Handte signed a plea agreement. According to District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr., Handte will be sentenced within 60 days.

He is charged with aggravated assault, kidnap to facilitate a felony, two counts of robbery, two counts of burglary, arson, criminal mischief, three counts of theft by unlawful taking, three counts of receiving stolen property, unlawful restraint, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, false imprisonment, access device fraud, harassment, and dangerous burning.

Shaw stated in an interview that Handte will have a minimum 15-year sentence. He’s already in state prison, and he is expected to receive additional time for violating his parole. Handte’s previous record includes several theft cases.

“This is a consequence of drug use,” Shaw said. “He destroyed his life by using drugs, and he will be in prison for many, many years.”

Shaw explained that the victim was satisfied with the plea agreement, adding that he left it up to her to decide whether she wanted to continue with the trial. This way the plea is final and there will be no appeals, he said.

If the case had gone to trial, Shaw said the witnesses would have included the victim and an inmate who learned the details of the crimes from Handte while they were cellmates.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, in the early morning hours of Feb. 20, 2015, police were notified that a truck was on fire in the Fairview United Methodist Church parking lot in Morrisdale. It was determined the truck belonged to Douglas Explosives in Philipsburg.

An employee was able to confirm the vehicle had been stolen. Through a tracking system on the vehicle, police were able to trace the route of the truck, which led them to Sheetz, JJ Powell’s in Philipsburg and Snappy’s in Houtzdale. They were able to review surveillance footage from these businesses.

At about 7 or 8 p.m. that day, the victim had a knock on her door. It was Handte, who claimed he was looking for gas for his snowmobile. She let him into her home and allowed him to use her bathroom. She even made him a cup of tea. She told police he used her phone to make several calls.

At one point he asked her for duct tape for his boots that were taped around his legs. After she gave the tape to him, he allegedly taped her hands behind her back. She was able to get free, which made him angry. He then duct taped her to the kitchen sink and struck her twice in the face. He asked where her keys were, and she told him they were in her purse. He went through her purse, taking $500 in cash and her keys. He also reportedly took a glass and the tea cup.

The victim remained on the floor, taped to the sink with her mouth taped shut until her son discovered her at about 4 p.m. the next day.

Her son told police he was able to cut her free with a paring knife. She wanted to stand up but was unable to stand.

He laid her down on the floor, put a pillow under her head and covered her with a blanket. She had a bloody mark on her left side, and her left hand and face were swollen. There was a pool of blood where her head had been, he said.

At the hospital it was determined she was suffering from hypothermia. An officer observed she had a bruised and swollen right eye. She also had bruising around and below her right ear and her neck. Her right elbow and her hips were injured, and she had several broken ribs.

The victim’s car was recovered on Feb. 23 at a Hawk Run apartment complex. After the cup that was still inside was processed as evidence, the DNA on it was determined to be a mix of Handte’s DNA and two unknown others.

Further investigation revealed that Handte had been living in a makeshift camp in the woods and was stealing from a nearby residence.

Handte was taken into custody the next day in Philipsburg after a vehicle he was traveling in was pulled over. He ran away but was eventually arrested for resisting arrest and possession of drugs.

In his interview with police, Handte admitted he was camped in a wooded part of Morrisdale where he shot heroin. He survived by taking food and other items from a nearby residence. He also spoke about stealing the truck, driving it around and trying to get gas with a fuel card, but he couldn’t remember burning the truck. Handte stated he didn’t remember everything he stole because he was using a lot of heroin.

When he got cold the evening of the robbery, he went to the victim’s home. In his story he covered the same details the victim had reported, but he did not remember hitting her in the face. He said the last thing she said to him was “please don’t wreck my car.”

This story was originally published February 22, 2016 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Bellefonte man signs Clearfield County plea agreement in robbery."