Buffalo man admits to stealing Bishop's car and several other crimes

A Buffalo man now admits he was responsible for several car thefts and other crimes spanning the city and suburbs. 

His targets included an  SUV belonging to a Erie County Sheriff's Deputy and a vehicle belonging to Bishop Richard Malone. 

20-year-old Joshua Hobes pleaded guilty Friday to a long list of charges including Grand Larceny and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property. 

Here's a timelines of Hobes' crimes. 

On September 18, an Erie County Sheriff's Deputy parked her Sheriff's vehicle in her driveway in Depew overnight. The deputy reported the SUV stolen the next morning. Another vehicle stolen from a gas station on William Street in Buffalo was located nearby. 

A few days later, Buffalo Police found the deputy's SUV, a chase ensued and the driver ran away. Surveillance video from the gas station and evidence inside the SUV linked Hobes to the crime. 

On the morning of October 22, Erie County Sheriff's deputies responded to Susan Drive in Clarence. This, after a homeowner called, saying a man knocked on her door and tried to get into the house. The deputies notice a vehicle at another home on the same street had its door open and appeared to have been rummaged through.  

Deputies patrolled the surrounding streets and noticed a pickup parked, but running on Thornwood Lane. Hobes was behind the wheel, and he matched the description of the suspect provided by the Susan Drive homeowner.   

Hobes claimed to be an employee of the company whose logo was on the side of the pickup.  The deputies determined the truck had been stolen from an employee of the company who had the vehicle parked outside his home in the City of Buffalo earlier that morning.  Hobes was also carrying a paystub belonging to a resident of Susan Drive, a knife and $30 in bills and coins.  

Sometime between January 30 and January 31, an individual or individuals entered Bishop Malone's residence on Oakwood Place in Buffalo through a backdoor. A coat belonging to a residing priest was taken, which contained keys to the Diocesan vehicle as well as credit cards issued to the priest and the Diocese of Buffalo. Surveillance video from various stores showed Hobes using the credit cards. He was arrested in Rochester on February 1 while driving the Diocesan vehicle. 

Hobes is set to be sentenced in June.

He faces up to 7 years in prison.