APD: Wanted Altoona man found in crawl space, ‘impossible’ he hid himself

ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — A wanted Altoona man — and his girlfriend — were arrested Sunday after police said he was found in an attic crawlspace and it’s “impossible” he hid himself.

Michael Cassarly, 41, has been on the Altoona Police Department’s most wanted list for a number of weeks over allegedly accepting to do work on a motorcycle and trying to steal it instead.

Altoona police said they spotted a car known to be used by Cassarly and it led them to a home on the 600 block of Bell Avenue. According to the criminal complaint, police knocked and yelled for Cassarly but only heard footsteps coming from inside.

Police said they were able to access the house from a window and proceeded to sweep through. Charges show that 28-year-old Danielle Glunt, of Duncansville, was in the bathroom on the second floor bathing a child. Police noted that it appeared Glunt kept trying to stall them. She was detained and taken outside, the complaint reads.

While searching the house, police said they found a crawl space in the attic with a door that was covered by a blanket and dresser. Police moved the items and ordered Cassarly to come out, which he did. Police said in the complaint it was important to note that the door to the crawl space swings outwards, making it “impossible” for him to have closed it and put a dresser in front of it while inside.

They continued by saying that Glunt and the child she was bathing were the only other people in the house.

Glunt was charged with obstruction and harboring a fugitive. Cassarly now has additional charges of flight to avoid apprehension on top of the previous charges of theft and receiving stolen property.

Police noted that Cassarly also had two warrants through the Blair County Sheriff’s Office.

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Cassarly was placed in Blair County Prison with bail set at $50,000. Glunt was released on $25,000 unsecured bail.

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