Man pleads not guilty to stealing lotto tickets

A man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to stealing cash and lottery tickets from a Huntington Beach gas station and fleeing police.

Joseph Samuel Fotia, 20, of Anaheim, pleaded not guilty to felony second-degree burglary, unlawful taking of a vehicle, evading a peace officer and possession of a controlled substance, and misdemeanor driving under the influence, hit-and-run with property damage, possession of a controlled substance paraphernalia and resisting a peace officer, according to the Orange County district attorney’s records.

The Huntington Beach Police Department was called about 3:47 a.m. Sept. 5 by a witness to an alleged burglary at an Arco gas station at 19971 Beach Blvd., according to the Police Department. The witness reported the suspect has a white construction vehicle with tool boxes attached and officers found the vehicle at Magnolia Street and Adams Avenue, the suspect fled.

Police pursued Fotia until he lost control of his truck and crashed into a home in the 20100 block of Shorewood Circle.

Fotia allegedly got out of his 1999 Chevrolet commercial truck and left the scene.

Police, using a police dog, allegedly found Folita hiding in the backyard of a house in the 9000 block of Mediterranean Drive with cash and lottery tickets on him.

Police also found methamphetamines and drug paraphernalia, and his vehicle was allegedly reported stolen in Anaheim.

Britney Barnes