An Allegheny County man was charged with multiple drug and escape charges after Greensburg police said he left a trail of cocaine, heroin and drug paraphernalia while he ran from a home in hopes of avoiding arrest.
John R. Stenhouse, 20, of Turtle Creek was taken into custody in an alleyway behind the 600 block of South Main Street. He fled 520 Euclid Ave. around 2:20 a.m. Friday as officers from three departments closed in, city police Patrolman Frank Tempo said.
As police from Greensburg, South Greensburg and Southwest Greensburg chased Stenhouse, Tempo reported that officers saw him discard 13 plastic bags of cocaine, baggies of crack cocaine, a baggie of marijuana and about a “brick” — 50 stamp bags — of heroin marked “Say Hello to My Little Friend” before officers caught him behind Dawg’s Bottle Shop.
Tempo said officers shocked Stenhouse with a Taser to subdue him because he continued to resist arrest.
Once Stenhouse was taken into custody, police said he still possessed another 21 stamp bags of suspected heroin. Police also seized $785 in cash and two cell phones.
Tempo said police had the home under surveillance after receiving a tip that a man from the Pittsburgh area was inside the home on Euclid Avenue “with a large amount of crack, cocaine and heroin.”
City Patrolman Henry Fontana and Tempo approached the front door to detain everyone inside in order to conduct a search, court records said. Stenhouse spotted officers first and ran.
“We identified ourselves as police and ordered Stenhouse to stop. Stenhouse refused to comply with verbal commands, and ran on to the sidewalk and continued to flee on foot,” Tempo said in court documents.
“Numerous, loud verbal commands were given for the suspect to stop. Stenhouse was observed discarding items of evidence while fleeing,” Temp0 said.
After Stenhouse was in custody, Tempo reported that officers collected the items he discarded.
Stenhouse was arraigned Saturday on charges of delivery, manufacturing and possession of a controlled substance, escape, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest and tampering with evidence. He was ordered held in the county jail on $15,000 bond.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
