By LAUREN ROTH and DAVID WEISS, The Wilkes Barre (Pa.) Times-Leader
One hour and twenty-seven minutes after turning himself in to state troopers, Hugo Selenski said, “I wouldn’t have missed this trial for anything.”
Selenski, charged in two homicides, escaped from Luzerne County Correctional Facility on Friday evening and was on the lam until 8:40 p.m. Monday, when he turned himself in at his home at 479 Mount Olivet Road in Kingston Township. In June, police found five bodies, three burned, buried on the property.
While awaiting arraignment on two escape charges shortly after 10 p.m. Monday, Selenski chatted in hushed tones, smiled, shrugged and nodded at his attorney, Demetrius Fannick, who sat beside him.
“I’m looking forward to trial, that’s all there is to it,” Selenski told a reporter. “I’m innocent and that’s all there is to it.” He paused and then added, “I wouldn’t have missed this trial for anything.”
Though some might say the two escape charges he faces would indicate he was trying to miss the trial, he said, “No.”
State police Sgt. Kevin Kolson reached into a pocket in Selenski’s camouflage Army pants after the hearing and withdrew a $10 bill, a business card, several slips of paper containing phone numbers and addresses, and a handwritten note on lined paper that had worn at the folds. Kolson handed the items to Fannick.
It was nearly 72 hours after the double-homicide suspect escaped from the county prison when Selenski turned himself over to police at his Kingston Township home.
State police said authorities went to the 479 Mount Olivet Road house Selenski shared with his girlfriend late Monday afternoon.
Selenski’s girlfriend, Christina Strom, refused to let police search the residence. She had previously allowed a search.
About two hours later, state police said, Fannick called them, saying his client wanted state police Sgt. Richard Krawetz and township police officer Charles Rauschkolb to take him into custody.
He was arrested at the house at 8:47 p.m. without incident, Luzerne County District Attorney David Lupas said at a press conference Monday night in Wyoming. Lupas said no deals were made as part of Selenski’s surrender.
“We pulled in, he came walking out with his hands up,” state Trooper Tom Kelly said.
Kelly said Krawetz was at the home earlier Monday speaking with Strom when she refused to let police search.
“We left,” Kelly said. “About an hour later his attorney said he would meet us there.”
Kelly said he did not know when Selenski arrived at the home.
Selenski was wearing Army fatigue pants and a T-shirt. He had been wearing gray sweat pants when he fled the prison Friday night. It is unclear where or when he changed, and the investigation into his whereabouts and whether anyone aided his escape is ongoing.
After a short stop at state police barracks in Wyoming, Selenski was arraigned on escape and implements of escape charges in front of District Justice John Hopkins in Edwardsville. Roberts remanded Selenski to the State Correctional Institution at Dallas without bail.
Lupas said Selenski was not taken to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for security reasons. Police said Selenski and cellmate Scott Bolton removed a window from a seventh-floor cell of the prison and escaped from the prison Friday night.
Earlier Monday at the county facility, Lt. John Corridoni and various security guards were feverishly preparing for the prisoner’s return shortly after his arrest. They did not yet know he would not come and had prepared a restrictive housing cell with no windows and three locks. They also hung yellow police tape in front of the sally port gate to block reporters.
State police instead opted to take Selenski to the state facility in Jackson Township. An employee there said would be no comment until today.
Until his client’s surrender, Fannick had been making public pleas for Selenski to turn himself in to authorities.
Around 7:30 p.m. Monday, Fannick received a phone call from Selenski.
“He told me where he was and that he wanted to surrender,” Fannick said.
Fannick contacted Krawetz and met police at the driveway of the Mount Olivet Road home.
“Hugo walked out with his hand up and surrendered,” Fannick said.
Fannick is unsure why Selenski specifically requested the two officers. The attorney said he had not yet discussed any details of his client’s whereabouts and does not have a clear explanation for the escape.
“I’m going to have to wait and see,” Fannick said. “I was more concerned just to make sure that no one was injured, that he was not injured in any way.”
At the hearing, Selenski was accompanied by state police Sgt. David Himlin and arresting Trooper Leo D. Hannon. Metal leg cuffs connected by a chain hung loosely around his narrow ankles covered by clean white socks. No dirt was visible on his white sneakers. Selenski was also wearing handcuffs connected by a black box.
The box was connected by a red wire to a metal hook of a brown restraint belt around Selenski’s waist. The escapee was also wearing a purple T-shirt advertising Shenanigans Irish Pub in North Carolina.
He appeared confident and calm at the arraignment, smiling occasionally and bouncing his leg. He did not appear to have any injuries.
Asked why he turned himself in, he said “I don’t have anything to say.” Asked where he went, he said “no comment.” When asked if he was scared, he shook his head “no” and grinned.
The news of Selenski’s surrender came as a relief to the mother of one of the alleged drug dealers Selenski is accused of killing. Selenski and Patrick Russin were charged last week, accused of killing Frank James and Adeiye Keiler.
James’ mother, Deborah James, of Brooklyn, N.Y., said she “fell to pieces” when she learned Selenski had escaped.
“Oh, my God,” James said when notified Monday night that Selenski had surrendered. “I feel so much better. I was petrified he was headed for Brooklyn. I couldn’t sleep.”
James said she hoped the homicide case against Selenski progresses quickly so she and her family can get on with their lives.
“All this pain and agony we’re going through,” she said. “I hope they do whatever they do to him. He deserves every bit.”
Capt. Carmen Altavilla said police had been at the home every day as part of their routine investigation. Kelly said a lot of surveillance was conducted at the residence and it wasn’t much of a surprise that he was at the home.
“There was intelligence that told us he was in the area,” Kelly said. “He was probably going to be at the residence.”
It’s the same home where police found the remains of five bodies in June. Selenski has been charged in the deaths of two of the individuals. He is a suspect in the other deaths.
Lupas credited all the local, county, state and federal police agencies that contributed to pursuing Selenski.
It was that pressure, Lupas said, that led to Selenski’s surrender.
“I’m very proud and happy to report to you as I predicted earlier when I stated, it was a matter of time, whether it took a day, or a week, or a month, that law enforcement would not stop until Mr. Selenski was back in custody and back behind bars where he belongs,” he said.
- Times Leader staff writer Terrie Morgan-Besecker contributed to this report.