Escaped Convict

[MOONDOGGY]

I just heard all about this and I thought it would make for good discussion. Here is what I've heard:

A convicted murderer originally from Philly escaped while at the Altoona Hospital. He stole a guard's pepper spray, maced 3 guards, and stole a purple PT Cruiser while weilding a knife and maybe a shotgun. The whole area was on alert and he was captured shortly afterwards on Riggles Gap Road which is the road I take everyday to and from Altoona Campus. Apparently local schools and the campus were on a lock-down. I left minutes before all this took place. Here is 2 emails that the new Chancellor sent out to all campus students:

Titled: IMORTANT ALERT INFORMATION

"Dear faculty, staff and students,

As I recently indicated in my campus-wide broadcast, we have just been
notified that a convicted murderer who was being treated at the Altoona
Hospital has escaped and he may be in our vicinity. He stole a purple PT
Cruiser and allegedly used pepper spray to obtain the vehicle. He was
recently sighted on Grandview Rd. (behind the campus on the way to
Bellwood) and is now wearing a suit and carrying a knife. He may be
carrying a shotgun as well. He is described as a white male, bald (shaved
head) with some blonde hair, light goatee, light complexion, hazel eyes,
180 pounds, 5' 7". Please use extreme caution and be aware of your
surroundings. Be particularly careful in going to your car. Be assured
that Police Services both here and in the community are on full alert and
are doing everything in their power to protect us.

We have locked down all buildings until we have more information. Classes
are cancelled for the rest of the day. We will be in touch with further
information as it becomes available.

Please be assured that we are doing everything possible to protect
everyone's safety. We have called for back up police protection and a
helicopter search patrol has been deployed.

You may check our web site for more information, and I will be in touch via
voice and email as I know more.

Thank you for your patience and understanding."


Here's the second email:

Titled: Convict Apprehended

"Dear faculty, staff and students,

The convict has been apprehended and our lock down situation is now
over. All people are free to come and go in each building as necessary.

During this entire ordeal, the safety of our students, faculty and staff
was of utmost importance to me. That is why I made the decision to cancel
all classes for the remainder of today. I had no idea how long this
situation would last. Thankfully, it is over and no one was
harmed. Unfortunately, it is too late to resume our class schedule for today.

I thank all of you for your patience during this situation, and I
especially thank our Police Services officers for their prompt and
efficient handling of this incident.

Thank you,

Lori"


What a day to be a cop! If I woulda found that guy, I woulda tore into him like a monkey on a cupcake. (If he didn't do it to me first!)

[Banned]

I was aware of the situation, but didn't know the convict was apprehended already. Good job by the authorities! However,
some heads are probably gonna roll when it comes to those
guards involved. How does this type of incident occur if proper security measures are taken? My guess is they weren't. Hum?
I worked at the hospital in the past and always felt that bringing inmates in for treatments was risky business (having also worked at a state
correctional institution after I graduated from college). Security
for the public was always lacking in these situations in my opinion.
Hope a lesson is learned from this incident, and I hope the guards weren't
seriously hurt as well as anyone else.

[Larry]

Wow! That's alot of excitement for Altoona!

I used to own a home on Moser Road out in Riggles gap. That must have been scary for the gap gang.

[AtoMikEnRtiA]

okay whats the deal with Pennsylvania, law enforcement, murderers, and killings in the past 3 weeks? Cops get shot, Convicted murderers escape from jail. Kid in the "mean streets" of Lititz shoots his girlfriends parents in the head, gets caught in police chase, according to the daily news (and rob, correct me if im wrong) i heard that huntingdon county was believed to be the original destination for the 2? - whats the deal.. is everything turning to hell up there? dont make me come down there..

love,
God

[ZappasXWife]

This escapee reminded me of something that happened in my neighborhood ~ 1970. There were these 2 prisoners that escaped from prison - they shot and killed a state trooper that tried to apprehend them in I think Lewisburg and then they came to Altoona because the one guy had family here. I still remember their names, it was Getty and Knisely. So they closed the elementary school that I went to because they were seen around there (Fairview school), and the cops brought dogs around that were sniffing my mom's car like mad. I was just a little kid, so this whole incident traumitized me, which is why I remember it so vividly. Anyone else remember this? Big news then in Altoona when shootings and things weren't so common as now...I bet now a kid wouldn't even be afraid at all.

[Jim Price]

ZappasXWife wrote:

This escapee reminded me of something that happened in my neighborhood ~ 1970. There were these 2 prisoners that escaped from prison - they shot and killed a state trooper that tried to apprehend them in I think Lewisburg and then they came to Altoona because the one guy had family here. I still remember their names, it was Getty and Knisely. So they closed the elementary school that I went to because they were seen around there (Fairview school), and the cops brought dogs around that were sniffing my mom's car like mad. I was just a little kid, so this whole incident traumitized me, which is why I remember it so vividly. Anyone else remember this? Big news then in Altoona when shootings and things weren't so common as now...I bet now a kid wouldn't even be afraid at all.

Yes, I remember this. They closed my elementary school, too (Greenwood), and that was a pretty tense day. As I recall, didn't that end in a shootout, with a local cop and one or both of the prisoners dying in the shootout?

And yes, that was back in the days when gunfire in Altoona was indeed a rare thing...

[PastaJoe]

Yes, that was pretty freaky for me...I live on Grandview Road in the Riggles Gap area -- in fact he was actually caught right up the hill from my house.

[tshovel]

well dan i knew you would like the halloween get up.
and NO!

it's not a weekend thing buddy..lololo

i got payed pretty nice for turning out as a bitch that night!!!

lol

t.

[lonewolf]

Did anybody hear anything about how he managed to elude the guards in the 1st place?

[YankeeRose]

Did anybody hear anything about how he managed to elude the guards in the 1st place?

You're as bad as I am...you mustn't read the newspaper or watch tv, either...although I did listen to the radio! I did put Channel 10 on long enough to see a really bad picture of him, basically a copy of a Fax. From what I remember, it was reported he "bolted" from the hospital after macing several people, Prison Guards included, wearing a Yellow Prison Jumpsuit...I'd like to know why he wasn't shackled or at least handcuffed to something! He stole a Purple PT Cruiser somewhere along the way, procured weapons, possibly including a mentioned handgun, shotgun and/or knife. He changed into a white shirt and suit and I believe it was said a maid had been tied up in a home...he was cornered, somehow contracted a bloody nose and was re-captured.

[Jim Price]

TV-10 reported that the two corrections officers on duty when Gerlach escaped had been suspended without pay, pending SCI Houtzdale's internal investigation into the incident.

[HurricaneBob]

We are playing SCI Houtzdale on the 17th..

I bet we dont see him at the show.

[ToonaRockGuy]

Did anybody hear anything about how he managed to elude the guards in the 1st place?

The two CO's took him to the bathroom and didn't check the space first. The bathroom had a second exit and he just walked out.

[YankeeRose]

Did anybody hear anything about how he managed to elude the guards in the 1st place?

The two CO's took him to the bathroom and didn't check the space first. The bathroom had a second exit and he just walked out.

So much for the rumors of "macing"!

[YankeeRose]

We are playing SCI Houtzdale on the 17th..

I bet we dont see him at the show.

Now, now Hurricane, behave yourself...don't go inciting a riot or anything! Although, this town could use a bit of excitement. I always BLAST the Thin Lizzy tune "Jailbreak"! SERIOUSLY now, what goes on when you boys play in a SCI?

[bassist_25]

It's funny. The big wheels in Clearfield bitched and moaned that we got the prison instead of them. Then they bitched and moaned that the Wal-Mart Distrubution Center was placed where it was because of zoning laws or something. I'll take the distrubution center; they can have the fucking prison!

[lonewolf]

Did anybody hear anything about how he managed to elude the guards in the 1st place?

You're as bad as I am...you mustn't read the newspaper or watch tv, either...although I did listen to the radio!

I generally don't watch local news because if it affects the "wrong" people with the "correct" last name, they sweep it under the rug. This is especially true of events in Hollidaysburg.

For instance, did you hear about the 26 year old that was found dead in is car parked near the Hollidaysburg OIP a few weeks back?

Even when my friend Tina Miller was brutally murdered, you didn't hear much about it at first. Months later, it became a local issue.

[YankeeRose]

lonewolf, I just KNEW there was some kind of common ground for us, SOMEWHERE! Officials in Bell County, TX called Schuylkill County the most corrupt County they'd ever had to deal with. This was years before a SCUM neighbor of mine and his brother were indicted on FEDERAL Grand Jury Charges. (He once put a barrel containing dog feces and grass clippings in a corner of his yard, just off my kitchen porch - far from his house, of course - and was calling it "compost". The Minersville Borough Code Enforcement Officer didn't do a thing, they were friends, so I got information from the County on "compost", went to the Mayor, and it was removed.)
They'd transported stolen vehicles across state lines, as part of a stolen vehicle for wreck V.I.N. switching, odometer tampering, used car ring. The exact year, make and model car would be stolen to match a wrecked vehicle. Their names got nary a mention in the local newspaper, nor on tv and they never spent a single night in Jail. Of course, their Uncle was the Solicitor for Pottsville, the County Seat, and he'd rubbed elbows with our then Governor, Tom Ridge. Go figure!



There was another case of two guys I know, who beat another man to death. The slimeball Minersville pigs were on the case. The one dude, I was once married to his cousin. The other dude I went to school with. His Grandmother was "good friends" with the Judge handling the case - it was common knowledge - and so, they got away with Murder...yes, "not guilty".
Juries can very easily be swayed.



The injustice is disheartening.