A Monroe County man is arrested on arson charges after fleeing from police.
Police started searching for the suspect yesterday after he set two vehicles on fire in Barrett Township.
The domestic incident led to a high speed chase today on Route 447 in Price Township.
We’re told police were actively looking for the suspect when they saw him getting into his mother’s vehicle this morning. When they approached, she took off. One of our videographers happened to be driving on the same road and got caught up in the pursuit.
News13 Videographer Alex Herrero says, "My heart was pounding and I was nervous, but I wanted to find out as a news person what was going on.
Herrero is talking about the pursuit for 30-year-old Eric Funk of Cresco. Yesterday police were called to an apartment complex on Brookside Lane in Barrett Township. We’re told a witness observed Funk walk up to two vehicles, douse them with gasoline and light them ablaze.
Chief Chris Wagner of Pocono Mountain Regional Police says, "Further investigation revealed that one of the drivers of the vehicle had a past relationship with Funk and it seems to be some sort of retaliation because of the breaking off of that relationship."
One vehicle was put out by the witness but the other was fully engulfed and needed to be put out by the Barrett Township Fire Department. Police could not locate Funk yesterday but flied felony arson charges.
Wagner says, "Given the fact that he endangered people with lighting those vehicles. So when those vehicles were lit, they were within 10 feet of the apartment buildings and there were multiple occupants within those apartments."
Today's pursuit ensued through multiple jurisdictions. Herrero says the SUV flew up behind him on Wooddale Road in Price Township doing about 90 miles per hour.
Herrero says, "Cuts into the oncoming lane, it’s only a two lane road and he goes in front of me. Then in front of me there was a dump truck going around a narrow bridge, he actually passed that guy on the left going around that bridge, could’ve been a head on collision. I thought I was going to see an accident."
Police did lose sight of the vehicle but Stroud Area Regional Police were able to locate the vehicle near the Analomink Post Office. Funk attempted to flee and was apprehended, along with his mother, Lori Funk who was behind the wheel.
Wagner says, "Mr. Funk and his mother endangered various members of the public and we just as a community can not tolerate that."
Both Funk and his mother were taken to the Monroe County Jail and are awaiting arraignment on felony charges.