Minersville Police recently took down Mr. Freeze.
It turns out his icy lair was located in the borough, at a home on Lewis St.
But it wasn’t easy. Mr. Freeze first led police on a daring chase the Minersville and Pottsville areas. And then police found out Mr. Freeze had a stash of drugs hiding in his trunk.
Minersville Police Tackle Mr. Freeze, Ice His Drug Operation
Of course, the Mr. Freeze we’re talking about isn’t the notorious Batman villain.
In this case, it’s Zackary Freeze, 35, who lives in Minersville. And he led police on a real ice-capade about a week ago.
(Photo: Zackary Freeze/Minersville PD)
Back on Oct. 23, Officer Michael Bucek of Minersville PD spotted Mr. Freeze at the Fuel Up putting gas into his Dodge Charger. Bucek noticed that Mr. Freeze’s inspection sticker (marked 11/21) was taped to the windshield.
Bucek waited for Mr. Freeze to get in the car and drive away from the gas station, heading south on the Pottsville-Minersville Highway. That’s when Bucek hit his lights and sirens to pull over Mr. Freeze.
Mr. Freeze wasn’t about to be taken in by police, however. He sped up, trying to elude Bucek’s pursuit.
In court papers, Bucek says Mr. Freeze began to “weave in and out of pedestrian traffic” as he tried to get away. Mr. Freeze nearly hit the median at the intersection of the Pottsville-Minersville Highway and Maple Ave., near the Kings Village shopping center.
Mr. Freeze continued to weave in and out of traffic, trying to give police the slip. He continued to the Route 209-Westwood Rd. intersection in Pottsville, running a red light there. Mr. Freeze then blew through a stop sign at the Westwood Rd.-Maple Ave. intersection.
He then began driving on the wrong side of the road, skidding his tires as he maneuvered turns. Mr. Freeze then turned right at the intersection of Maple Ave. and the Pottsville-Minersville Highway, again on the wrong side of the road. Right after the intersection of Ramp Rd. and Maple Ave., Mr. Freeze hopped the median and got on the right side of the road.
Eventually, Mr. Freeze made his way east on Seltzer Rd., again skating through pedestrian traffic, and then onto Bulls Head Rd.
Just beyond Elm St. near the Norwegian Woods housing development, Mr. Freeze suddenly stopped – in the oncoming traffic lane – and opened the driver’s door. About 2 seconds passed and Mr. Freeze slammed the door shut and drove another 100 yards.
Mr. Freeze got out of his vehicle and began sprinting up an embankment at a home along Elm St.
Bucek got out of his police cruiser and yelled at Mr. Freeze, “Let me see your hands!” and “Stop! Police!” but the fugitive kept running, behind a shed at that home on Elm St. and then over a bush into a neighboring property. Bucek also jumped over the bush and caught up to Mr. Freeze, form tackling him to the ground.
Mr. Freeze resisted for about 10 seconds but eventually told Bucek to chill.
“Alright,” Mr. Freeze repeated several times, giving himself up.
Bucek said he found $1,386 in cash on Mr. Freeze and also found out that he was wanted on several warrants, including a felony probation and parole violation.
Back at the police station, Bucek said he observed Mr. Freeze had pale and clammy skin and was sweating profusely. His eyes indicated he was on something and Mr. Freeze allegedly admitted that he had used heroin, meth, and smoked some weed prior to driving. Mr. Freeze said he tried to escape police because he had “things to clear up” before going back to prison.
Bucek ordered a blood test on Mr. Freeze but he didn’t consent. He explained to Bucek that “I’m not going to consent to the blood draw. There’s no point. The only thing that it will prove is that I have a s*** load of drugs in my system. At least if I refuse the test, I’ll only be charged with one DUI.”
Mr. Freeze was taken to Schuylkill County Prison and his Dodge Charger was impounded.
Mr. Freeze’s Trunk-or-Treat
Mr. Freeze’s troubles didn’t end after the chase though. Minersville PD obtained a search warrant for his Dodge Charger.
Inside the trunk, police say they found quite a drug haul. Police picked up a black pouch. Inside that black pouch was a black steel box and a digital scale disguised as a pack of Marlboro cigarettes.
A white residue on the scale tested positive for meth but inside the box, police found Mr. Freeze’s stash:
- 5.7 grams of heroin/fentanyl
- 36.17 grams of methamphetamine
- 0.7 grams of crack cocaine
- 19 sheets of acid featuring Grateful Dead bears
- 10 white pills ID’d as acetaminophen/oxycodone
- 1 marijuana grinder
Mr. Freeze remains in Schuylkill County Prison and is now facing a glacier of charges, including multiple possession felonies.
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