A man who fled from state police earlier this month, prompting a lockdown at Seton Hill University, was arrested last week at a junkyard hiding underneath a trap door, according to Chief Deputy Jennifer Shipley of the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office.
Troopers have been searching for Joseph Alan Pees, 31, since Feb. 14. Then, police said he fled from them as they were trying to serve an arrest warrant at the junkyard on Mount Thor Road at the border of Hempfield and Greensburg. Seton Hill University was on lockdown for about 90 minutes during the search.
The county sheriff’s fugitive apprehension started looking into Pees’ whereabouts last week and were led to the same junkyard. With the help of Elliott, a police dog with Westmoreland County Park Police, they found Pees hiding underneath a trap door that was concealed by a piece of carpet, Shipley said.
He surrendered without incident on numerous warrants, including one stemming from charges filed in connection with the Feb. 14 incident. He was lodged in the Westmoreland County Prison on Friday.
