A Schuylkill County man is wanted by police after he allegedly fled a Shenandoah home he’d broken into early Wednesday morning.
Police in Shenandoah say Carlos Lirino broke into a W. Coal St. home and hid in a bedroom closet. When he was discovered by the woman living in the home and her boyfriend, he fled downstairs and armed himself with a butcher knife, police say.
Police say they were dispatched to the home shortly after 2 a.m. for a reported burglary.
A woman told police that she and her boyfriend returned home after she had been working all day and heard noises coming from a second-floor bedroom. When they went to investigate, they heard a noise inside the main bedroom’s closet, police say.
The woman locked the closet door and the bedroom door, according to police. Lirino, the woman’s ex-boyfriend, then allegedly broke through both doors and ran down the stairs to the first floor, police say.
While the woman called 9-1-1, her boyfriend stood at the top of the stairs. Police say Lirino ran into the kitchen, grabbed a 12-inch butcher knife from a cabinet drawer, and stood at the landing at the bottom of the steps.
The current boyfriend told Lirino, “Don’t do that, bro,” but Lirino did not respond, police say. Once Lirino heard his ex calling 9-1-1, he dropped the knife and ran out of the residence.
Following an investigation, police determined Lirino entered the home through a small exterior door at the front of the residence that leads into the basement. A second door leading from the basement to the first floor was locked from the outside, but Lirino was able to unlock it to access the main living area, police say.
Police patrolled the surrounding area in an attempt to locate Lirino but were unsuccessful. He’s facing a felony burglary charge along with misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief and simple assault.
Schuylkill County Crisis & Support Resources
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence, free, confidential, and inclusive help is available 24/7 in Schuylkill County.
- Schuylkill Hope Center (Domestic Violence): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 622-6220, text HOPELINE to 20121, or visit schopecenter.org. Services include emergency shelter, housing assistance, counseling, and legal representation.
- SARCC (Sexual Assault): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 628-2965 or visit sarccheals.org for counseling, advocacy, and healing support for survivors of sexual violence.
- Outside Schuylkill County: Residents across Pennsylvania can find their local domestic violence program at pcadv.org. You can also visit domesticshelters.org to find resources near you.
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