Hempfield fugitive found in laundry basket remanded to jail on firearm, drug charges

A Hempfield fugitive who was taken into custody last week after he was discovered hiding in a laundry basket by county sheriff’s deputies was arraigned Thursday on charges of illegal possession of a .44-­caliber handgun and drug offenses.

Sheriff’s deputies were trying to find William Rettinger, 27, at his home in the 200 block of Rocky Mountain Road at 8 a.m. Jan. 19 to serve arrest warrants out of Fayette and Westmoreland, but his girlfriend, Emmaly Bridge, 30, told police Rettinger was not there, according to court papers.

Deputies said they broke down a locked door and spotted a pistol and butcher knife in a bedroom. Rettinger was found hiding beneath clothes in a full laundry basket, holding a backpack, according to court papers.

Investigators said suspected crystal methamphetamine was found in the room, along with multiple glass pipes.

The handgun had six live rounds in the chamber and had been reported stolen to Penn Township police in 2018, police said.

In addition to the drug and firearm complaints, Rettinger was charged with flight to avoid prosecution and receiving stolen property.

After his arrest last week, Rettinger was arraigned in a Fayette County drug case and was ordered held on $10,000 bail. He also was ordered to remain detained in two Westmoreland County cases: one involving drugs and a second in which he is accused of leading state police on a chase in 2020.

Hempfield District Judge Mark Mansour remanded Rettinger to the county jail and set his bond at $50,000.

Bridge also was in the county jail on $50,000 bond after she was arrested on charges of hindering apprehension, illegal possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and receiving stolen property.

Bridge’s preliminary hearing is scheduled Feb. 1, while Rettinger has a hearing scheduled Feb. 8.