PRINCETON — Phillip Somoskey escaped from Mercer County Magistrate Court Sunday, but his run didn’t last long.
Princeton Police Department officers arrested Somoskey, 24, of Princeton, after responding to a domestic violence report involving the suspect and a female. During the investigation, officers learned that Somoskey was wanted on a fugitive from justice warrant that originated in Tazewell County, Va.
They arrested Somoskey on charges of domestic battery, obstructing an officer and fugitive from justice.
During the arraignment Sunday morning, Somoskey reportedly seized an opportunity to run from the Mercer County Courthouse Annex.
“We were trying to do two things at one time,” Magistrate Charles Poe said Sunday, explaining that he had briefly returned to his office to complete arraignment paperwork, while Princeton Police Ptlm. J.E. Malm tended to paperwork in the copy room.
When they returned to the arraignment site, Somoskey was gone.
“He decided he was going to leave here without paying his debt to society,” Poe said.
The escape led to a small-scale manhunt throughout the city.
“He was captured a short time later,” Ptlm. T.A. Bailey reported Sunday.
Bailey located and apprehended Somoskey near the intersection of Honaker Avenue and Mercer Street.
He said Somoskey did not attempt to evade arrest once he was back in custody.
“He didn’t have time,” Bailey said.
Although the formal paperwork was not complete upon the initial report Sunday, Bailey and Poe said Somoskey should anticipate more charges, possibly including felony escape.
Poe set bond at $2,000 on the domestic violence and obstruction charges. Because the fugitive charge will likely include extradition negotiations, a circuit court judge will address that alleged crime. And Somoskey will be arraigned on the flight charges once the paperwork is completed.
- Contact Tammie Toler at ttoler@ptonline.net.
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