Wife speeds off with naked man on car roof
Estranged couple charged after crash
By TERRI SANGINITI
Staff reporter
12/04/2002

Debbie DeMarco was driving west on Naamans Road about 4:30 a.m. Monday when she said a blue Volkswagen Jetta roared past her with a naked man clinging to the roof.

DeMarco, a paper carrier for The News Journal, said the car was swerving from left to right across the median, sparks flying. The driver then crossed back over the median toward DeMarco before making a sharp turn onto northbound I-95 near the Tri-State Mall.

"I'm looking, and there's a man hanging from the top of the car ... naked!" said DeMarco, who called 911. "All this guy had on was white socks and a T-shirt."

The driver, Lori Ann Becker, 20, of Aston, Pa., and the man, Becker's estranged husband Michael, 25, of Linwood, Pa., were arrested after she crashed the Jetta into a concrete barrier near Highland Avenue and Front Street in Chester, according to a police affidavit.

Lower Chichester Township Police Officer Ralph Conte said in court papers that an "extremely cold" Michael Becker fell off the Jetta's roof and pushed the woman back into the vehicle, held her down on the floor and punctured her thigh 17 times with a small tool that was dangling from the rearview mirror.

Michael Becker told police he was trying to stop his estranged wife from stealing the car from his driveway when she took off with him hanging onto the side, Conte said in court records.

Michael Becker told police he grabbed the roof rack as the car sped down the street.

Lori Ann Becker was charged with attempt to commit homicide, simple and aggravated assault, reckless endangering, harassment and stalking, disorderly conduct, drunken driving, driving without a license, careless and reckless driving, and accidents involving damage to unattended vehicle or property.

Police charged Michael Becker with simple and aggravated assault, reckless endangering, terroristic threats and disorderly conduct.

DeMarco said she's never seen anything like it.

"It's freezing, how can he possibly hang on?" she said. "We see all kinds of funny things happen early in the morning, but this beats all."