Philly area man enters plea for flee attempt

Katie Smolen, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

Aug. 6—EBENSBURG, Pa. — A Philadelphia-area man entered a guilty plea, to misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person and fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, in Cambria County court Thursday.

Michael Anthony Allen, 30, of Ardmore, entered a guilty plea before President Judge Norman A. Krumenacker as a jury was to be selected in his case.

In April, officers with the Johnstown Police Department responded to a report that a wanted person was outside the Oakhurst Homes housing complex. Police said they had been notified that Allen, who was wanted for theft and homicide, was last seen in a dark gray car with tinted windows, according to a criminal complaint.

A marked cruiser traveled toward Oakhurst Homes and a dark gray Ford Fusion passed the officer traveling the other direction, the complaint said.

The officer turned around and followed the vehicle down several streets as it circled the same block multiple times, prompting the officer to turn on the overhead lights and sirens.

According to the complaint, the vehicle then fled at high rates of speed as more officers joined in the pursuit, and following a long chase the vehicle came to a stop in front of an address on the 800 block of Fernwood Place and Allen fled on foot.

As police pursued Allen near the residence, they saw a woman standing outside yelling and asking what was going on, the complaint said.

The woman told police that her 2-year-old daughter must have locked her out when police asked the woman to go inside for her own safety.

According to the complaint, officers noticed footprints in the snow which stopped at a door to the home and told the woman that they believed Allen, who was wanted for homicide, was in the house with her daughter — at which time the woman gave officers permission to kick in her door.

In the home were wet muddy footprints in the home which the officers followed to where the footprints went up a flight of stairs, the complaint said.

Allen was then informed the house was surrounded and the Special Emergency Response Team was called.

After approximately an hour, Allen came down and surrendered to police.