Man accused of killing parents says he was off medication

YORK, PA. >> A Pennsylvania man accused of killing his father and stepmother with a sword last week has told investigators he was off his schizophrenia medication at the time, authorities said.

Levar Fountain, 38, is charged with criminal homicide in the slayings of John Fountain, 74, and Mary Fountain, 65, in the York home the three shared.

Authorities allege in charging documents that Fountain killed the victims Thursday night, moved their bodies to the basement and covered them with a sheet. No motive is cited in the documents for the slayings.

Authorities said he then killed several dogs owned by the victims, which authorities allege he explained by saying they were “known as ‘God’ but spelled backwards, which made them lower class dragons and they had to be killed.”

He than posted a note on the front door saying the couple had moved back to Florida and then went to his room for three days, authorities said. One relative saw the note Saturday, checked with family in Florida and was told that they also had not heard from the couple, authorities said.

Officers who entered the home found Fountain wearing bloody jeans and a pair of sneakers “that had dried blood all over them,” authorities said in charging documents. He told them he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been prescribed medication but hadn’t taken it for a few days, they said.

Neighbors said they heard loud bangs and other noises from the home Thursday as well as a loud cry from an animal, authorities said. The sword authorities believe was used was found in Fountain’s bedroom, authorities said.

Shooting standoff ends with suspect in custody

GARNET VALLEY, PA. >> A standoff between police and a shooting suspect ended peacefully early Monday in Delaware County.

Terrence Zanchuk, 46, surrendered to officers around 1 a.m. after barricading himself in a home and firing into the street around 10 p.m. on Sunday, Bethel Township police said.

Authorities initially responded to the area around 1 a.m. Sunday, when a neighbor called police after finding a bullet in her home, Delaware County District Attorney Kat Copeland said. Police returned to the area several hours later that day after receiving reports about shots being fired from Zanchuck’s home.

Officers spent several hours investigating the trajectory and determined the bullet in the neighbor’s house came from the direction of Zanchuck’s home, Copeland said.

Zanchuck would not cooperate and told police to leave his property while standing on his front porch with a rifle. He then proceeded to fire four to six shots, hitting patrol cars.

Residents were told to shelter in place and a shelter was opened at the Bethel Fire House for those who could not get back to their homes. The order was lifted after Zanchuck gave up.

2 men sought after home set afire with woman, child inside

PHILADELPHIA >> KYW

Police are seeking help from the public in identifying two men seen setting fire to a Philadelphia row home where a woman and a child were sleeping over the weekend

The woman was able to get out of the home with the child and call 911 after the fire began shortly before 4:30 a.m. Saturday in the East Mount Airy neighborhood, police said.

Surveillance video showed the two men, one in his late 30s or early 40s and the other in his 20s, throwing flammable liquid on the home twice, police said. They then returned to throw a Molotov cocktail at the structure, and the device burst into flames, police said.

Police say the woman said she didn’t recognize the suspects, so the attack may have been a case of mistaken identity.

Authorities say the flames did moderate damage to the house. No injuries were reported.

Cold-hearted pet owner who left lizards in street is sought

STOUGHTON, MASS. >> Police are searching for the owner of several lizards that were found in cages on a street in Massachusetts.

The Stoughton Police Department posted photos Saturday of six lizards it rescued in the hopes someone would claim the reptiles.

Police asked that the owner call the department to explain the abandonment of such “remarkably creepy yet shockingly majestic creatures.”

The department said that it had an “overwhelming response” to the initial lizard post but that the owner had not been located as of Sunday afternoon.

The lizards are being professionally cared for, police said.