A seven-hour manhunt involving local police and the U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force led to the Prince William County Police arrest of Earl Patrick Mitchell, 20, the felon who was on the loose in the Lake Jackson area of Manassas Thursday.
Mitchell was on the run from authorities after being charged with homicide in Johnston, Pennsylvannia. While driving through Prince William County, Manassas Park and the City of Manassas, he was chased by police in his vehicle and on foot. He sought shelter with two area residents, possibly keeping them as hostages in their home.
Prince William Police charged Mitchell with burglary while armed, two counts of abduction and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Manassas City police charged him with fugitive from justice, referencing his Johnston, PA homicide, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a concealed weapon, reckless driving and felony eluding.
The hunt for Mitchell began Thursday at approximately 1:30 p.m. when a Manassas City Police officer observed a vehicle bearing Pennsylvania license plates in the area of Dumfries Road and Winterset Drive within the Manassas City jurisdiction.
According to Prince William Police spokesperson Officer Jonathan Perok, after running the plates, the officer discovered that the vehicle was connected to a homicide investigation in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Learning this, the officer activated his emergency equipment and attempted to stop the vehicle.
"The vehicle did not stop, and a pursuit was initiated that continued into Prince William County where the driver lost control of the vehicle, and ran it up onto a sidewalk off the Prince William Parkway near Tattersall Drive," Perok said.
A passenger was retained at the scene without incident, but Mitchell immediately fled on foot into a nearby residential and wooded area.
Officers, determined that Mitchell was the suspect, sought an active warrant by Pennsylvania authorities in connection to the homicide. This information prompted a massive police response and extensive search of the area.
After officers activated a Unified Command Post status, officers and K-9’s from Prince William County Police, Manassas City Police and Virginia State Police joined the hunt, aided by the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter. Together, these law-enforcement agencies participated in a seven-hour manhunt for Mitchell.
Area schools were notified of the incident and took necessary precautions, while officers limited access to certain residential areas where Mitchell was believed to be in hiding.
Shortly after 8 p.m., during a methodical search of a surrounding neighborhood, officers received information that Mitchell was possibly in the basement area of a home on Mineral Springs Drive. The suspect was believed to have entered the residence through an unsecured rear door.
Two Prince William County police officers, a Manassas City police officer and a police K-9 searched the residence and located Mitchell who had been hiding in a storage area in the basement of the home. The suspect was apprehended without incident and was found to be in possession of a loaded handgun.
Two residents of the home encountered the armed suspect and attempted to calm him down for several hours. At one point, Mitchell became distracted, and the men were able to flee the residence. Notification was made to nearby officers who searched the home, ultimately finding Mitchell. No injuries were reported.
The suspect is currently being held in the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center in Manassas. The passenger in the vehicle was not charged.
Most of the information for this article is based upon information provided by Officer Jonathan Perok of the Prince William County Police.
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