Drug Suspect Wanted After Escaping Roof Collapse
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A bizarre scene in Southwest Baltimore after a man jumps onto the roof of a Baltimore home to avoid arrest after police said he was caught selling dope. But, that's not where the story ends.
Rochelle Ritchie has the details.
Tense moments in Southwest Baltimore after a man running from police scales new heights to avoid arrest.
"I guess he thought he was Batman," one witness said.
Police said the man was part of a drug transaction prior to climbing on top of a two story vacant home on Ramsay Street.
Witnesses said the man jumped onto the roof to avoid arrest, threatening to kill himself when all of a sudden the roof of the home collapsed.
"How he got up there, I don't know, I didn't ask him," Anthony said.
The commotion outside caused concerned residents to peak out their windows.
"He kept pacing back and forth trying to get away from him trying to figure out where to go," witness, Chris Houge said.
Suddenly the man found himself going down as the roof collapsed beneath him.
"I looked up and saw him running across the roof and I didn't see him no more," witness, Konica Rice said.
A police pursuit ended up being a rescue mission.
"This is somewhat of a police matter, but however, once the individual went through, it is our understanding that the building itself pancaked down on top of the individual," Captain Roman Clark, spokesman for Baltimore City Fire Department, said.
Firefighters stabilized the building and tried to find the suspect with no luck. Thinking he was able to avoid capture, they started boarding the building.
Hours later witnesses saw the man peaking from a basement window. Seconds later the free falling suspect burst from the building and ran away. He has not been seen since.
"You've got people out here that do crazy stuff and it doesn't make any sense," another witness said.
Howard County police brought their K-9 unit to help in the search, but the unit left before going into the building.
Police have not released a description of the suspect. It's not known what caused the collapse.
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