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Fugitive’s attempts to elude capture fail after allegedly hiding in the woods

Aware that he was wanted for absconding from his parole officer, Michael James Willits was determined not to go back to jail when a state trooper pulled him over on Youngs Road near Scenic View Drive in Woodward Township about 7:15 p.m. Sunday, according to court records. So the 38-year-old man bailed out of his 2015 GMC Terrain and ran through yards and jumped two electrical fences before reaching woods, where he hid for nearly 90 minutes, police said. Troopers set up a security perimeter around the woods and ordered Willits seven times to come out, but he refused, police said. Finally, shortly before 9 p.m., one of the troopers spotted him in the woods and the fugitive was then immediately taken into custody. Willits, of 505 Center St., apartment 65, was arraigned before Biichle on charges of evading arrest, disorderly conduct, trespassing on posted agricultural land, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia as well as eight summary offenses. He was locked up in lieu of $25,000 bail.

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