A Seneca man who was wanted by police in connection with a burglary last month in Oil City was captured Wednesday after a search on the South Side of the city.
Oil City police said in a criminal complaint they saw Jordan Reagle, 27, carrying a backpack and small bag while he was cutting through a yard on West First Street at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.
While the officer was parking his car so he could arrest Reagle on a warrant from a July 31 burglary, Reagle saw the officer, dropped the bags and hid in the area, the complaint said.
After retrieving Reagle’s bags, the officer was joined by other officers who helped him search the area, the complaint said.
With the aid of the Venango County Sheriff’s K-9 unit, the officers located Reagle hiding in rhododendron bushes in front of Morrison Funeral Home on Petroleum Street and arrested him, the complaint said.
Police found three bags of suspected methamphetamine, multiple items of drug paraphernalia and Reagle’s wallet with his drivers license inside his backpack, the complaint said.
In the July 31 incident, Reagle and Damien Sloan, 43, of Oil City, broke into a house on Colbert Avenue and yelled for one of the residents of the home, Oil City police said.
An occupant of the house noted that Reagle was holding their frying pan, and the resident then called 911, police said. Reagle and Sloan then fled from the residence, according to police.
Reagle and Sloan have been charged with a felony count of burglary-overnight accommodations, person present and two misdemeanor counts of simple assault and terroristic threats.
He had not been arraigned as of Wednesday afternoon.
Reagle was charged in connection with Wednesday’s incident of felony counts of flight to avoid apprehension/trial/punishment and manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and misdemeanor counts of delivery/intent to deliver drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substances and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was arraigned on both sets of charges Wednesday and placed in the Venango County jail after failing to post bail.
Reagle’s preliminary hearing in both cases is scheduled next Wednesday in Central Court.
