LEHMAN TOWNSHIP, PIKE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) 7 people are in custody after State Police were called to the Pine Ridge community clubhouse around 12:45pm Monday afternoon for a report of 5 people trying to forcefully enter the building.
The caller advised that there were five males with guns, smashing the windows and there were three office workers barricaded inside. According to police, while they were on their way to the scene the Pine Ridge Chief of Security told them he was overrun by several males and. One of the security officers was taken hostage and injured.
The males allegedly caused extensive damage to the building by smashing windows and doors while two females waited in nearby vehicles.
Police say one of the men stole the hostage’s personal vehicle while another stole a Pine Ridge security vehicle and tried to leave the area. All others involved attempted to escape from the development through the community exit.
Troopers from the Stroudsburg and Blooming Grove stations arrived on scene and took 6 people into custody without any further incident. A 7th person was also arrested after crashing the stolen security vehicle.
When questioned, it was determined that the suspects were claiming they are indigenous people and they were “taking back the land” that they say belongs to them.
All involved are facing numerous charges including Aggravated Assault, Robbery, Kidnapping and Terrorism. Stay with Eyewitness News and PAHomepage.com throughout the day for updates on this story.
