A quiet late Thursday morning in downtown Chambersburg turned into an active manhunt after authorities say a man on electronic home confinement sliced off his GPS ankle monitor and took off.
Pennsylvania State Police identified the man as 24-year-old Mehki Miley Rideout and said the monitoring device was removed at about 11:28 a.m. on April 9. Troopers have charged Rideout with escape and said his last known location was the 100 block of Main Street in Chambersburg.
According to Daily Voice, the Franklin County Adult Probation Department alerted law enforcement after the device was taken off and reported that Rideout was serving a sentence for possession with intent to deliver. Pennsylvania State Police have since filed the escape charge and are leading the search.
The Franklin County court scheduling system lists “Comm. v. Rideout, Mehki Miley” on its docket, reflecting Rideout’s recent involvement in local criminal proceedings. Those public records are consistent with the probation department’s role in supervising people on court-ordered electronic monitoring.
Police seek tips
Pennsylvania State Police are asking anyone with information on Rideout’s whereabouts to call the Chambersburg barracks at 717-264-5161. That number appears in official state directories for the Chambersburg station and has been cited in local reporting on the case.
Legal context
The charge of escape is codified at 18 Pa.C.S. a7 5121, published by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, which defines “official detention” and lays out the elements of the offense. Pennsylvania courts, including the state Supreme Court in Com. v. Wegley as reported by Justia, have wrestled with whether home confinement and tampering with electronic monitoring qualify under that statutory definition. Whether an escape charge ultimately sticks can depend heavily on the specific facts and how judges interpret the law.
Authorities are urging the public not to approach Rideout if they see him. Instead, they say to contact Pennsylvania State Police in Chambersburg at 717-264-5161 and let law enforcement handle the situation.
