STROUDSBURG - A man in the Poconos is accused of stealing not one, but two cars after he tried to avoid getting arrested Monday morning.
The man allegedly ran from authorities at the Monroe County Courthouse then carjacked a utility worker's vehicle that was parked outside.
Anthony McGuire of Scranton is now facing charges of robbery and fleeing to avoid arrest after running from authorities Monday at the Monroe County Courthouse.
The Stroud Area Regional Police say McGuire had been at the courthouse for a PFA hearing around 9:30 a.m. when sheriff deputies attempted to take him into custody on an arrest warrant from Lackawanna County.
Frank Hetrick was working on top of scaffolding at the courthouse and watched McGuire run outside the building.
“I saw someone bolt up the block, I seen a bunch of chubby cops chase after him,” said Hetrick. “I did hear them talking, he must have seen the board and he had a bench warrant and he didn`t want to stay for it and he took off, he dove under the table and he was out of here.”
Police say McGuire then carjacked a UGI worker who was sitting in his parked work vehicle outside the courthouse on Sarah Street.
Police say McGuire yanked him out of the driver's seat, jumped in and took off.
Investigators say McGuire ditched that vehicle in Stroud Township then stole a vehicle from an acquaintance`s home.
Pocono Mountain Regional Police then chased McGuire down Route 196 near Tobyhanna where McGuire crashed around 2:30 p.m..
He was flown to the hospital.
“He had to be like doing almost a 100,” said Britany Evans who works at Nurturing Arms Daycare on Route 196.
She heard the chase as the cars went by.
“We heard the sirens at first and then when we looked outside we saw a white car with two cop cars right behind it and one of the side and then maybe about a minute later we saw a couple more and then a couple more and then we saw ambulances and the fire trucks,” said Evans. “We were like oh on.”
UGI spokesperson tells us their employee was not injured in the carjacking and his vehicle was recovered.