Two men threatened others with a large knife along the train tracks behind the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail at about 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, police said.
Herminio Carabello, 26, and Andrew Mihalichko, 19, face felony charges of aggravated assault, flight to avoid apprehension and evading officers.
According to the criminal complaint, responding officers spoke with George Ligi who said he was walking back from his homeless encampment when he was approached by two men, one of whom brandished a knife and said he was “looking for predators.”
Ligi said he believed the other man also had a weapon.
Officers then received an additional report of a man at the Lackawanna County Intermodal Center on Lackawanna Avenue with a knife.
Responding officers spoke with Eric Shaffer who said a man had been threatening others on the train tracks below Cliff Street.
As officers were speaking with Shaffer, they heard a disturbance nearby and found Angelo Sleboda and Renee Vanhorn hiding and upset.
Sleboda told police someone had just put a gun to his head and threatened his life. Vanhorn said one of the men had held a knife to her neck. Vanhorn said the two had been on their way to their campsite when two men began following them.
Kris Little and Elizabeth Scott then approached officers and said they had also been approached by two men, one of whom had raised a knife above his head and threatened them.
As officers continued southbound down the tracks they heard a disturbance and moved toward it. The officers came upon a group of people and spotted Carabello, wielding a large knife and standing with Mihalichko.
Officers drew their weapons and ordered Carabello to drop the knife and all the individuals to show their hands.
Instead, Mihalichko and Carabello fled into a wooded area near the river. Officers soon heard a loud splash and believed one or both of the men had entered the river.
A large-scale search began, which included patrol officers, a police K-9, thermal imaging equipment and a drone.
Officers found Caraballo hiding in dense brush on the west side of the river, soaking wet.bFollowing an hours-long search, officers found Mihalichko as he was emerging from a wooded area near the North Scranton Expressway.
Mihalichko told officers Caraballo had been carrying a knife and admitted the two fled when they saw police approaching.
Officers noted multiple witnesses gave the same description of the two men. Police recovered a large silver bayonet-style knife that appeared to be discarded in a brushy area.
Caraballa and Mihalichko also were charged with possession instruments of crime, making terroristic threats, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, harassment and disorderly conduct. They were denied bail and remain at the Lackawanna County Prison.
Both have preliminary hearings scheduled for 10 a.m. on June 17 before District Judge Kipp Adcock.