Effort man captured after six-hour manhunt; witness to police: ‘Get more backup out here because now you’ve got a mess’

Troopers stationed on Spring Street, off Cherry Valley Road, as part of a search state police started in Saylorsburg. Mark Everitt was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police after a 6 hour manhunt in Hamilton Township. (Andrew Scott/Pocono Record)

Troopers stationed on Spring Street, off Cherry Valley Road, as part of a search state police started in Saylorsburg. Mark Everitt was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police after a 6 hour manhunt in Hamilton Township. (Andrew Scott/Pocono Record)

By Andrew Scott Pocono Record Writer

An Effort man, who eluded police and allegedly assaulted a teenager and broke into a home, was captured Wednesday after a six-hour search in Hamilton Township, according to a press release from state police at Swiftwater.

Mark Everitt, 39, is in the Monroe County Correctional Facility after he was captured at 1:45 p.m., according to police.

Shortly after 6 a.m., a neighbor spotted Everitt passed out in a green van parked on Spring Street, facing the Cherry Valley Road intersection, and contacted police, said neighbor Jenny Kramer.

At 7:51 a.m., Everitt was still there, in the vehicle, said Kramer. Two state troopers arrived two minutes later and approached the vehicle as she and her neighbor watched from her front yard.

"We kept yelling over to the troopers to box him in so he couldn't take off, but they just stood there and tapped on his window and tried to get him to come out," an agitated Kramer said later. "We knew the guy was gonna take off and, sure enough, his rear lights came on. One of the troopers stood behind the van, as if the guy wouldn't run him over."

Everitt drove his 2000 green Chrysler minivan in reverse, nearly hitting the trooper who jumped out of the way, and fled backward at a high rate of speed along Spring Street, "right past my driveway," Kramer said. One of the troopers chased after him on foot, while the other trooper radioed in from his car, as Kramer called 911.

"They kept asking who I was," she said. "I told them, 'It doesn't matter who I am, just get more backup out here because now you've got a mess.'"

Everitt exited the vehicle and fled on foot into the woods, according to police.

More state troopers arrived minutes later and set up a search perimeter, stationing themselves along Spring Street, Cherry Valley Road and nearby Route 33. A helicopter began searching from overhead shortly afterward.

The sound of the helicopter woke neighbor Sharaz Beharry.

"I looked out my window and then came out onto my deck," Beharry said, noting it was his day off from work. "I saw police parked on the street out front and asked what was going on. They said they were looking for somebody, but that's all they would say.

"I checked around my house and property to make sure everything was OK," he said. "This is a quiet area with a lot of rental homes. I've been here four years. Police haven't had to come here since they busted a meth lab in the house across the street about two years ago."

Neighbor Cody Schrade awoke to police knocking at his door.

"They said they were searching the area for someone and asking neighbors to stay indoors," Schrade said. "Not long after that, I heard somebody over a loudspeaker somewhere say, 'You're surrounded by police, put your hands up.' I couldn't tell where it was.

"We've lived here nine years," he said. "Nothing like this has ever happened here. We're on a private road. Hardly anyone, other than the people who live here, ever comes down this road."

Police said that Everitt was reported to have walked out of the woods at 1:15 p.m. near Spring Street and was confronted by neighbors, according to police.

Police say Everitt then assaulted a 14-year-old boy before running back into the woods.

Police said they then set up another search perimeter and 30 minutes later a woman reported Everitt had entered her home. She told police she pushed him out of the house and saw Everitt run back into the woods. Troopers then spotted Everitt and arrested him.

"I am not at all happy with the way those two troopers, who were first on scene, handled this," said Kramer. "Had they just blocked his van in so he couldn't get away and then smashed the window and dragged him out, none of this would've happened.

"I have seven kids and I'm not the only one on this street with children," she said. "My kids or my dogs could've been out in the yard when that guy sped backward down the hill. He could've come right into my yard."

Police said Everitt will be arraigned from jail by video.

Photo and story from the Pocono Record

1 Response

  1. deb mayer says:

    The Troopers knew what they were doing; civilians should just let them do their jobs and stay quiet.

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