A traffic stop by authorities in Bristol Township last Monday led to the arrest of a woman for harboring a fugitive and his arrest for active warrants, false identification charges and possession of drug paraphernalia, officials say.
It all started when a Pennsylvania State Trooper made a routine traffic stop of Maria Zschunke at Veterans Highway (Route 413) and Durham Road last Monday around 4:3o p.m., court documents say.
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Zschunke, owner and operator of the vehicle, was accompanied by Louis Pike, 47, of Bristol, who was arrested immediately for falsely identifying himself to authorities and possession of drug paraphernalia. Pike also had warrants for his arrest from multiple jurisdictions , court records show.
Pike was transported to St Mary Medical Center for opiate withdrawal treatment, officials say. He then is alleged to have “absconded” from the facility shortly after being placed there.
State troopers went to Zschunke’s residence – a recovery house in Bristol Borough- upon learning Pike left medical treatment prior to be taken into custody. Authorities told the 44-year-old woman from Philadelphia they were looking for Pike and hiding or assisting him would be a crime. Zschunke cooperated and allowed authorities to search the premises unable to find the suspect, the affidavit says.
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The next day around 9:30 a.m. state troopers and representatives from the Bristol Borough police department arrived at the women’s residence again asking to perform a second search of the premises for Pike at the residence (in court documents street and house number information was unavailable). Zschunke refused to let officials in and became combative would not confirm nor deny the presence Pike in her room, court documents say.
Bristol Borough officers entered the common area of the “sober house,” where each individual room is an apartment instructing Pike to come out, which he did.
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Both suspects were taken into custody without incident.
Zschunke was charged with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for September 25 in Bristol Borough District Court and was released.
According to online court documents Pike has yet to be scheduled for a preliminary hearing at press time.
