Police: Seward man feigned illness, escaped custody over the weekend

A Seward man remained on the loose Monday after convincing a police officer transporting him to the county jail over the weekend that he was ill, state police said.

When the officer pulled over along Route 711 in Fairfield on Saturday, 45-year-old Michael Paul Boring got out of the vehicle and ran — still handcuffed — into a wooded area. Police closed off a section of the rural highway to search for Boring, including in the vicinity bordering Pennsylvania Game Commission land.

Trooper Clifford Greenfieldsaid state police received information that Boring is believed to have stolen a black Ford F-250 that was left unattended after his escape.

“We have not had any tips. We’re still looking to get him into custody and are asking anyone who may know his whereabouts to call 911,” Greenfield said.

Seward police could not be reached for comment.

Greenfield said troopers believe Boring could still be in the Seward area.

Boring was being transported to the Westmoreland County Prison in Hempfield after being picked up on multiple arrest warrants.

Among the pending warrants was one for possession of drug paraphernalia and fleeing and eluding Seward police while driving a car Aug. 24 and another for criminal conspiracy, criminal trespass and retail theft for a May 17 incident in Murrysville, according to court dockets.

Boring has an extensive criminal history in Cambria, Indiana, Venango and Westmoreland counties dating back to 1998, according to court dockets. Most of the arrests were for retail theft, but he also has been arrested for writing bad checks and driving on a suspended license. He has twice been convicted for resisting arrest in Westmoreland for incidents in 1998 and another in 2017, also involving Seward police.

He was sentenced to serve two years in prison on both resisting arrest convictions and court records show he was paroled on the 2017 case in May 2019.

State police have filed a new warrant against Boring for aggravated assault, escape, resisting arrest and theft, according to court dockets.

He is described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall; about 200 pounds; with blue eyes and gray hair.