Two men wanted on burglary charges were taken into custody yesterday by Solebury Township Police.
One was picked up in a shopping center, while the second was captured after running into nearby woods.
Solebury Police said the men were first spotted at approximately 9:45 a.m. Wednesday by Officer Gina Ferzetti while she was conducting traffic enforcement around routes 202 and 179.
Ferzetti saw an older model Ford pick-up truck with an expired Pennsylvania registration, and upon further investigation discovered the registered owner was wanted on numerous criminal arrest warrants, police said.
As Ferzetti was preparing to conduct a traffic stop on the truck, it suddenly turned into the north entrance/exit of the Logan Square Shopping Center. She briefly lost sight of the truck but then spotted it unoccupied, in the back of the shopping center.
Ferzetti noted that the operator was an adult white man, as was the front seat passenger. She went on foot patrol around the shops, later locating the passenger walking near Village Row. The passenger was identified as Michael C. Settle, 35, of Philadelphia, who had an active arrest warrant from the Bucks County Sheriffs Office for burglary, police said.
Further investigation found that the driver of the Ford pick-up truck had fled the area on foot.
Solebury Township Police Officers conducted an extensive search of the area and were initially unable to locate the driver.
At approximately 1 p.m., as Ferzetti was traveling in her marked patrol vehicle along Route 202 near the Fox Run Estates, she saw a man who appeared to be the driver who fled earlier, walking southbound along the northbound shoulder.
As Ferzetti attempted to stop the man, he fled across Route 202 onto Fox Tail Court. A passing motorist witnessed this and advised officers on location that the man ran toward the woods.
Solebury Police conducted an extensive search of the area with assistance from officers from the Buckingham Township Police Department and Middletown Township Police Department’s K-9 Officer.
At approximately 2:15 p.m., the man who fled was observed by Solebury Police Officer Anthony Viruet-Melendez, at which time the man attempted to run farther into the woods, police said. Viruet-Melendez then took the man into custody.
The man was identified as Michael J. Garrison, 44, of Croydon. Garrison had active arrest warrants for burglary, theft and related charges from the United States Marshall’s Service, Philadelphia, Montgomery Township and Burlington County, N.J., police said.
Both Settle and Garrison were remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility.
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