Derry Township couple charged with trying to elude police
A Derry Township man is in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond after state police said he fled from troopers trying to arrest him on a parole warrant.
Justin James Jones, 35, is charged with flight to avoid apprehension and disorderly conduct.
Police said they saw Jill Cherie Kratzer, 37, of Derry Township, driving near the home she and Jones share at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Jones was in the passenger seat and, when troopers tried to stop the vehicle, Kratzer took off and Jones jumped out, according to court papers.
Police said he ran avoid being taken into custody on the parole warrant. Several police agencies were called to help search for him in a residential area but were unsuccessful, said Trooper Steve Limani. Kratzer was arrested on a charge of hindering apprehension and jailed on $15,000 bond.
Troopers returned to Derry Township the next morning and found James at his home, Limani said. The parole warrant was related to a robbery case, police said.
Neither Jones nor Kratzer had an attorney listed in online court records. Preliminary hearings are set for July 15.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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