JOHNSTOWN — The Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force arrested Thomas Edward Grove Jr. on Friday in Johnstown.
Grove, considered by police as armed and dangerous, was wanted on felony drug charges in Coatesville, Chester County.
He was considered extremely dangerous and reported to be in possession of a MAC-11 machine pistol.
The arrest came after Johns-town police responded to a traffic accident on Lunen Road in Moxham.
A witness stated that a subject in the other vehicle, described as a male wearing all black, fled the scene. Police found indications in the abandoned vehicle that Grove may be associated.
Deputy marshals from the Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force responded to the scene and told police they had been conducting surveillance of 326 Russell Ave. as a possible location of Grove.
As officers were preparing to approach the Russell Avenue home, a male wearing all black fled the home and ran into the woods and deep snow. A Johns-town police K-9 officer immediately encountered the male and the subject was taken into custody. He was positively identified as Grove.
The arrest and investigation of Grove was conducted by the U.S. marshals, Johnstown police, Cambria County sheriffs, Pennsylvania State Police Fugitive Unit and Coatesville police.
In other police-related news:
• State police on Monday released more details into the death of inmate Jayson Stewart, 29, at SCI-Pine Grove early Sunday.
Troopers in Indiana County said Stewart, who had been serving two to four years for criminal conspiracy, was strangled with a bedsheet by his cellmate, an unidentified 19-year-old. The alleged killer already was serving a 20- to 40-year term for murder.
Police said that Stewart and the murderer had been cellmates for three days before the killing in the restricted housing unit.
Troopers said the altercation stemmed from a possible argument between the two. Stewart was discovered on the floor of the cell by prison guards a short time after the altercation took place.
The perpetrator has been interviewed by state police and transferred to another prison.
The investigation continues and charges are pending, troopers said.
• State police are looking for whoever stole a wallet from a Clymer woman as she shopped about 2:15 p.m. Sunday at Wal-Mart.
Police said the thief used credit cards in the wallet to make purchases at several surrounding businesses.
The wallet and credit cards belong to Charlotte Leona Foster, 52, of Clymer.
• The Greensburg area attorney for a woman charged with vehicular homicide for allegedly driving under the influence of heroin says the charges should be dismissed, in part, because the two victims weren’t wearing seat belts.
Defense attorney Emily Smarto says there’s not enough evidence to convict 21-year-old Ashley Stumpf, of Latrobe, in the crash on Sept. 13, 2008, according to The Associated Press.
Stumpf’s passengers, 21-year-old David Roble of Latrobe and 28-year-old James Henderson of Whitney were killed.
Police say Stumpf lost control of her car while driving 69 mph on a rain-soaked rural highway and crashed. The speed limit was 55 mph.
Smarto says two people in the other vehicle Stumpf hit survived because they wore seat belts.
