A Massachusetts man has denied theft charges after police say he tried to steal a car using the wrong set of keys and then punched the owner when he was spotted.
Everett Cuffee, of Florence, pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Northampton to attempted larceny of a vehicle and other offenses.
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reports the car owner told police he had stopped at a convenience store Tuesday and left his car unlocked. Police say he noticed a stranger, later identified as Cuffee, fumbling with a set of keys in the driver's seat. The keys left in the vehicle were the owner's work keys.
Police say the 19-year-old Cuffee fled after the owner tossed hot coffee on him.
Cuffee was hospitalized for medical evaluation after the incident.
Copyright The Associated Press
