FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — A report of two people behaving suspiciously led to the arrest of an Oil City man for drug possession.

Court documents indicate the Franklin Police Department filed criminal charges against 32-year-old Gabriel Joseph McCarthy, of Oil City.

According to a criminal complaint, around 6:50 p.m. on April 14, Franklin Police officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of 15th Street for a report of two suspicious people in the area that had gone into the woods behind a gas station.

Patrolman Scott arrived at the location and saw a male and a female behind the building in the woods. He approached the individuals in an attempt to make contact, but when the individuals saw him, they began quickly walking up the hill in the opposite direction.

Patrolman Scott announced who he was and told the individuals to stop.

According to the complaint, they began to jog up the hill and turned right when they hit Old Mercer Road, heading back toward the city. Patrolman Scott again told them to stop, and the female stopped running while the male began to run faster down the hill.

The male then took another right turn into the back lawn of a residence where another officer coming from another direction was able to apprehend him, the complaint states.

The male was identified as Gabriel McCarthy. He was detained and walked back to the gas station where officers discovered he was wanted on a bench warrant out of Venango County. He was then placed under arrest.

A search of McCarthy’s backpack was conducted, and the officers allegedly found he was in possession of four grams of suspected methamphetamine packaged for sale, a digital scale, several plastic baggies, a black box containing a glass smoking pipe with suspected meth residue, three cut straws with suspected meth residue, a plastic baggie with a buprenorphine pill, and miscellaneous papers containing names, numbers, and monetary amounts on them, according to the complaint.

The name of the female was not released.

McCarthy was arraigned at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 15, in Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey’s office on the following charges:

– Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
– Intentional Possession Controlled Substance By Person Not Registered, Misdemeanor
– Poss Of Marijuana, Misdemeanor
– Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor

Unable to post $15,000.00 cash bail, he was lodged in the Venango County Jail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25, with Venango County Central Court.