Allegheny County authorities arrest fugitive wanted on drug, weapons charges
A Beechview man who authorities said skipped a court date on drug and weapons charges was arrested Friday and will face additional weapons charges.
Jonathan Packard, 34, was deemed a fugitive on March 6 when he failed to appear before Judge Jill Rangos, according to Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus. In addition to the drug and weapons charges, he also was accused of receiving stolen property.
The charges were filed in December after a Greentree Road traffic stop by Scott police, Kraus said.
Detectives from the sheriff’s office tracked Packard to a house on Pittsburgh’s Knox Avenue, Kraus said. When detectives approached the house Friday morning, Kraus said Packard initially hid in the attic before surrendering without incident.
In the process of making the arrest, sheriff’s detectives found two additional firearms, which will result in two new firearms charges, Kraus said.
Packard was being held in Allegheny County Jail, awaiting preliminary arraignment.
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at jvellucci@triblive.com.
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