James Scott Cruciani Jr. of Lower Saucon Township appears in a Feb. 2014 photo publicly posted on his personal Facebook page.
Hellertown Police announced early Friday afternoon that 21-year-old Lower Saucon Township resident James Scott Cruciani Jr., who is accused of assaulting a borough police officer and escaping in handcuffs from police custody Thursday, was apprehended by Bethlehem Police in the area of Woodbine and Bayard streets in the city at about 12:15 p.m.
That intersection is just east of Stefko Boulevard in the city’s northeast, about four miles north of where police say Cruciani got away from the Hellertown officer who was trying to take him into custody on a domestic violence charge at 1660 Main Street.
Police say fugitive James Scott Cruciani Jr. was arrested at this intersection near Stefko Boulevard in northeast Bethlehem–a location about four miles north of where he allegedly escaped from Hellertown Police custody Thursday.
In the latest news release, police said that “while being placed in the cruiser car Cruciani began to resist and managed to assault (the) officer before escaping.”
A lengthy search for him then began.
Police said the search involved city police, Lower Saucon Township authorities, the Lehigh University Police Department and K-9 units from both Bethlehem and Lower Saucon.
A recent photo of James Scott Cruciani Jr. posted on his Facebook page shows a distinctive tattoo in Gothic lettering on his upper chest.
Many residents of north Hellertown on the west side of Rt. 412 were on guard throughout the night and into early Friday, as the area on both sides of the interstate–including Saucon Park–was combed as part of the search. At least one borough resident reported on Facebook that police asked to search her home as they scoured the residential neighborhood near the Bethlehem border.
Pennsylvania State Police were also told to be on the lookout for Cruciani.
“How Cruciani managed to avoid apprehension is not known at this time,” police said.
He is scheduled to be released to the custody of Hellertown Police and arraigned on charges of felony aggravated assault on a police officer, escape, domestic violence and other charges Friday, police said in the news release.
