Lancaster City Police evacuated an apartment building on Tuesday night while pursuing a car theft suspect. Police say they found a stolen vehicle in the area of East King Street and South Ann Street around 6:40 p.m. Thirty-five-year-old Reicel Paneque-Gavilan ran from the vehicle and into his apartment at the Garden Court Apartments near East End Avenue. Officers say they safely removed two adult individuals inside the apartment while Paneque-Gavilan stayed inside. Out of an abundance of caution, officers say they evacuated the surrounding apartments and closed streets in the immediate area. Police say they were able to get Paneque-Gavilan to leave the apartment and he was taken into custody without injury. There is no danger to the public and streets have been reopened in the area. Residents who were evacuated from their apartments have now been let back in. Neighbors say police were in the area the night before Neighbor Moesha Martinez sent News 8 several videos of a police presence at the Garden Court Apartments on Monday night. Lancaster City Police said they have had interactions with Paneque-Gavilan before but could not confirm any specific incidents. “I’m talking about guns everywhere, drones, dogs. They seemed to know who they were looking for specifically,” said Martinez. “I have a child myself. We’re in the community every day, so it’s nice to know that they’re doing their job.” Suspect charged in separate incident earlier this year Paneque-Gavilan was charged with receiving stolen property, carrying a firearm without a license, disorderly conduct and discharging a firearm back in March. Police said Paneque-Gavilan was complaining about the volume of a jukebox at a business on South Queen Street in Lancaster before he fired a shot in front of the store. He tried to flee before officers took him into custody. Investigators later discovered the handgun he used had been stolen.
LANCASTER, Pa. —
Lancaster City Police evacuated an apartment building on Tuesday night while pursuing a car theft suspect.
Police say they found a stolen vehicle in the area of East King Street and South Ann Street around 6:40 p.m.
Thirty-five-year-old Reicel Paneque-Gavilan ran from the vehicle and into his apartment at the Garden Court Apartments near East End Avenue.
Officers say they safely removed two adult individuals inside the apartment while Paneque-Gavilan stayed inside.
Out of an abundance of caution, officers say they evacuated the surrounding apartments and closed streets in the immediate area.
Police say they were able to get Paneque-Gavilan to leave the apartment and he was taken into custody without injury.
There is no danger to the public and streets have been reopened in the area.
Residents who were evacuated from their apartments have now been let back in.
Neighbors say police were in the area the night before
Neighbor Moesha Martinez sent News 8 several videos of a police presence at the Garden Court Apartments on Monday night.
Lancaster City Police said they have had interactions with Paneque-Gavilan before but could not confirm any specific incidents.
“I’m talking about guns everywhere, drones, dogs. They seemed to know who they were looking for specifically,” said Martinez. “I have a child myself. We’re in the community every day, so it’s nice to know that they’re doing their job.”
Suspect charged in separate incident earlier this year
Paneque-Gavilan was charged with receiving stolen property, carrying a firearm without a license, disorderly conduct and discharging a firearm back in March.
Police said Paneque-Gavilan was complaining about the volume of a jukebox at a business on South Queen Street in Lancaster before he fired a shot in front of the store.
He tried to flee before officers took him into custody.
Investigators later discovered the handgun he used had been stolen.
Comments are closed.