Retail theft suspect arrested after police pursuit in White Township

WHITE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A person accused of stealing from a local Walmart was arrested after a police pursuit on Friday.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, troopers were dispatched to the Walmart in Southtowne Plaza in White Township, Indiana County at around 3:20 p.m. for reports of an unknown male leaving the store with a shopping cart filled with tools and clothes and not paying.

Troopers learned the suspect’s description and clothing, as well as the suspect’s vehicle.

Another trooper found a car matching the description along Oakland Avenue and tried to pull it over, state police said.

The driver made an illegal U-turn and drove back toward the plaza, failing to yield to the trooper’s emergency lights and beginning a pursuit.

According to state police, the suspect then turned into Walmart and continued at a slow speed through the parking lot.

Other state police vehicles were heading toward the vehicle and the suspect made an abrupt left turn, unintentionally hitting the pursuing patrol car, state police said. The suspect vehicle was then blocked in.

According to police, the suspect resisted arrest while being removed from the car’s passenger side.

The suspect was taken into custody and identified as a 36-year-old man from Somerset. He was on state parole, police said.

During the execution of a search warrant on the suspect vehicle, all of the stolen merchandise was recovered.

The suspect was later released into the custody of State Parole agents. Charges are pending.

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Person in custody after police pursuit ends in crash in Wilkins Township A person is in custody after a police pursuit ended in a car crash in Wilkins Township on Saturday.

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