|
 The 31-year-old survivalist, who prosecutors say will face the
death penalty if convicted, was caught on Thursday after a
methodical seven-week search using a grid system and hundreds of law
enforcement officers.
A detachment of U.S. marshals found Frein outside an abandoned
airplane hanger in Tannersville, Pennsylvania, about 100 miles north
of Philadelphia, and near the heart of the area where authorities
focused their 48-day manhunt.
On Friday morning, a massive police presence surrounded Frein as he
was escorted in and out of the Pike County Courthouse for a
preliminary arraignment on a first-degree murder charge and one
count of homicide of a police officer, among other charges.
Frein arrived at court in the cruiser and handcuffs used by Corporal
Bryon Dickson, 38, whom he is accused of killing in a sniper attack
on Sept. 12 outside a Pennsylvania state police barracks in Blooming
Grove. Frein also is charged with wounding Trooper Alex Douglass,
31, in the shooting.
Wearing an orange jumpsuit with his face looking battered, Frein was
asked by the judge whether he understood the charges.
"Yes, I do," Frein said in a strong voice.
Police said Frein's bruises, including an oozing gash across the
bridge of his nose, were from injuries suffered while he was at
large.
Pike County District Attorney Raymond Tonkin said a preliminary
hearing was scheduled for Nov. 12. No plea was entered at the
hearing on Friday.
The heavy police presence and the aggressive tactics employed during
the manhunt rattled many residents of the normally peaceful area of
northeastern Pennsylvania, even as the shootings appalled the
community. His arrest brought a palpable sense of relief to
picturesque area.
In Barrett Township, which includes the village of Canadensis, where
Frein lived with his parents, the town's Halloween parade had been
canceled but authorities lifted a ban on trick-or-treating on
Friday.
[to top of second column] |
At the Village Crafts store on Route 390, shop owner Peggy Fylstra
said the manhunt hurt sales at her store and tourism in general. She
said tourists had been afraid to visit that part of the Pocono
Mountains, popular with "leaf peepers" who come to the area to see
the vibrant fall colors.
"A lot of people canceled reservations," she said.
When she heard on the news Thursday night that Frein had been
captured, she said she felt "like I hit the lottery."
State Police Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens estimated a cost of
$10 million for the manhunt, which has involved hundreds of officers
from state, local and federal agencies, using helicopters, armored
vehicles and sophisticated tracking technology.
Frein, who was on the FBI's most wanted list, surrendered without
incident, police said. Two firearms were found in the hangar but
Frein was carrying no weapons.
Police have said the suspect, an expert marksman whose hobbies
included dressing like a Serbian soldier in a war reenactment group,
held a longstanding grudge against law enforcement and was not
targeting any individual officer.
(Editing by Barbara Goldberg, Doina Chiacu and Bill Trott)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
