Man Found Hiding in Ceiling of Vacant Baltimore House After Theft Attempt

BALTIMORE — A 29-year-old man was apprehended by Baltimore police after attempting to evade arrest by hiding in the ceiling crawl space of an abandoned house on Monday.

The suspect, identified as Justin Lewis, was initially spotted attempting to steal items from the Dollar General located in the 2500 block of Greenmount Avenue earlier that day. Upon being confronted by an officer, Lewis complied and removed three bottles of Lysol from his pants and dropped a case of soap he had concealed in his jacket.

As the officer instructed Lewis to provide his name and date of birth, he became visibly anxious and expressed fears of having outstanding warrants. When the officer attempted to handcuff him, Lewis fled the scene, leading the officer on a chase through the surrounding neighborhood.

After regrouping with additional officers at the Dollar General, the primary officer spotted Lewis again, who had discarded his black jacket. Recognizing Lewis by his disfigured right hand, the officer made a U-turn in his patrol car, prompting Lewis to run once more.

Lewis was seen entering a fire-damaged vacant house on East 26th Street. Police searched the property and noticed movement in the ceiling crawl space, along with shifting insulation. Despite verbal commands for Lewis to come down, he did not respond.

Due to safety concerns regarding the potential collapse of the building, the Baltimore City Fire Department declined to assist with a ladder. Consequently, officers deployed OC spray into the crawl space in an attempt to force Lewis out.

After waiting to see if the spray would prompt him to exit, officers began using a crowbar to remove parts of the ceiling. Eventually, Lewis descended from the crawl space and was taken into custody. He was treated by paramedics for the effects of the pepper spray before being transported to Mercy Hospital.

Once released from the hospital, Lewis was taken to the Baltimore Central Booking & Intake Center, where he was charged with theft under $100 and resisting arrest. Authorities later discovered that Lewis had a bench warrant for failing to appear in court for a second-degree assault case in another jurisdiction.

Reported by HarborBeat based on WBFF (source).