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One in custody after Verizon heist, police search for another

A man is in custody and another is still at large after pointing a gun at police Tuesday night.

The wanted suspect is described as a black male, tall and lanky. Police say he is armed and dangerous.The man is accused of pointing a gun at a West Penn Police officer who attempted to take him into custody after a traffic stop around 6 p.m. Tuesday. He was last seen heading into the woods near the South Tamaqua Plaza shopping center on Route 309.Police were on the lookout for the suspects after a theft that occurred at 5:50 p.m. at the Verizon Store in the Carbon Plaza Mall on Route 443 near Lehighton.More than $4,400 in electronics were reported stolen from the store.According to court documents, one of the suspects stole from the back of the store while the other distracted a clerk with questions about phones and phone cases.They subsequently fled the scene in a black Honda Accord, heading west on Route 443 (Blakeslee Boulevard Drive).While entering the highway, they struck another vehicle. No injuries were reported.The suspect vehicle was later spotted by West Penn Township Police and stopped on Route 309.During the traffic stop, the passenger in the car waved a gun at the West Penn officer. The man then fled into the woods.Police searched the area off of Route 309 near Country Tile extensively, with the assistance of the state police helicopter.At press time, police were still searching for the passenger in the car. He is considered armed and dangerous.The driver of the vehicle, Zachary Chandler, 31, of Waterbury, Connecticut, fled the traffic stop and headed into Tamaqua, Police stopped his vehicle near the Boyer's Food Markets store by police and taken into custody.Three iPhones were found inside the vehicle.Chandler was taken in custody and arraigned this morning.He was taken to Carbon County prison in lieu of $75,000 straight bail.He is charged with burglary, retail theft, receiving stolen property, fleeing or attempting to elude police officer, accidents involving damage to attended vehicle or property and reckless driving.

The car used in the getaway after the robbery is towed away.
Police are searching outside the South Tamaqua Plaza for a suspect who fled a vehicle stop after a burglary at the Verizon store on Route 443. A state police helicopter assisted in the search. COPYRIGHT LARRY NEFF/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
Zachary Chandler