A stolen van, a midday police pursuit, and a fugitive scrambling into a marsh turned Shrewsbury into the backdrop of a crime drama on Saturday, ending with a Pennsylvania man in custody and booked into York County Prison.
Authorities say officers spotted a van that had been reported stolen out of Maryland at about 11:05 a.m. near East Forrest Avenue and Mt. Airy Road. When police tried to pull it over, the driver took off, cutting into the Tractor Supply and Phantom Fire Works parking lot on Renaissance Drive.
According to investigators, the driver and a passenger bailed out of the van while it was still rolling. The empty vehicle kept moving and hit a parked car before coming to a stop. Officers later used a Taser to detain the passenger. As reported by Newport Dispatch, the van had been stolen out of Howard County, Maryland, and the license plates were taken from Baltimore.
Passenger Treated At New Shrewsbury Hospital
After the arrest in the parking lot, the passenger was transported to WellSpan Shrewsbury Hospital for evaluation. The facility, which opened earlier this year as a neighborhood hospital for southern York County, gave local police a nearby option for medical clearance. More information on the site is available from WellSpan Health.
Multi-agency Search Uses K-9s, Drone And Helicopter
The driver, identified as 54-year-old Donald David Cornelious, did not stick around. Police say he scrambled down a retaining wall more than 20 feet high and disappeared into a thick marsh, triggering an hours-long search that stretched into the evening.
Officers quickly set up a perimeter while K-9 teams, a drone, and a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter swept the area. York County Sheriff's Office K-9 units and nearby municipal departments joined the effort, which wrapped up shortly after 6 p.m. Local officials noted that the response highlighted how agencies pool regional resources when cases spill across jurisdictions.
Charges And Custody
Cornelious was ultimately taken into custody and faces charges of fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, agricultural crop destruction, receiving stolen property, and being a fugitive from justice. His bail was set at $20,000.
Newport Dispatch reports that Cornelious had active escape warrants out of Maryland and had cut off his ankle monitor. He also admitted to using crack cocaine during the pursuit, according to that report. He was committed to York County Prison while prosecutors and investigators continue to sort through the case. Charges are still pending against the passenger, who remained at the hospital.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed the pursuit or who may have dashcam, doorbell, or cellphone video to contact local authorities. Investigators are working to determine whether the van theft and the ride into Pennsylvania were part of a larger theft spree. This story will be updated as more details are released.
