Pennsylvania Fugitive Apprehended

A Westmoreland County man was finally caught in South Carolina last week after eluding police for over two months.  David McGinnis, 44, has been on the run since March when officers showed up at his residence to arrest him for allegedly committing insurance fraud after filing a phony claim stating his and his wife’s “monster show truck” was stolen from a mall in May of 2008. After collecting $25,000 on an insurance policy, officers purportedly found the truck stored at McGinnis’s sister’s house.

 According to the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania News, after fleeing the police, McGinnis was described by officers as armed and dangerous and was believed to be on a rampage against those he suspected revealed the truth of his fraudulent claim to the authorities.

 In court papers that were filed Wednesday, police said McGinnis went to the home of people who he believed tipped off authorities shortly after he learned that he was wanted and his wife had been arrested.

 First, McGinnis went to a Fairfield Township home to confront a family that provided investigators with photos of the truck, police said. A woman who lives in the home told police that she spotted McGinnis in her backyard woods in a sniper position.

 Then, police said, he went to a relative’s trailer home in Bolivar early Tuesday and burned it down. The home was destroyed by flames.

 The relative was not home at the time of the fire, and neither was his family, who said they had a feeling McGinnis was after them for pointing police to the hidden truck’s whereabouts.

 U.S. Marshals finally caught up with the fugitive after surveillance revealed he was in Columbia, SC.  According to officers, McGinnis has quite a history when it comes to criminal behavior.  McGinnis has also served time in prison for arson, theft and obtaining stolen property. 

 McGinnis will be extradited back to Pennsylvania to face criminal charges of theft and arson.  Kudos to the US Marshals for getting this dangerous individual into custody where he may learn that revenge is not always sweet.