W. Va Man Arrested And Charged With Arson, Burglary, Strangulation, And Escape After Domestic Violence Incident In Armstrong
INDIANA, Pa. (KDKA) -- A West Virginia man is facing several charges after escaping custody from Pennsylvania State Police on October 13.
Police were called to domestic violence incident on Zehner Lane in Armstrong Township early that morning and when they arrived, they found Eric Flanary, a 23-year-old from Wheeling, W.Va. had bit his girlfriend, strangled her with his hands, and physically assaulted her.
Flanary was taken into custody but had managed to escape into the woods after being handcuffed.
Police chased him, called in a helicopter unit but were unable to find him.
Later, a woman called the police to report her shed on Tree Trim Road was on fire. When firefighters and police arrived on the scene they found forced entry into the shed, damage to the floor from a small fire and a handcuff that had been cut with bolt cutters.
Units then responded to a small fire inside a small steel barn, also off of Trim Tree Road.
The owner reported an electric bike had been missing once the fire was extinguished. Police searched the area and found the bike inside the garage along with Flanary.
He was taken into custody inside the garage as police learned he was planning to use the bike to travel back to West Virginia.
He will have a preliminary hearing on October 23.
