Couple who helped capture escaped prison inmate speak out

 

Pennsylvania manhunt for

an escaped inmate ended Saturday

with Michael Burns captured

thanks to a married couple, Cindy

and Ron Ecklund and their dog Tucker.

Cindy and Ron, thanks so much

for being here.

What a weekend

you guys had in Tucker as well.

It's so nice to see Tucker.

I'm not sure who should get the credit,

but I guess Tucker started it off

and then you guys carried

the ball forward.

Walk us through what happened.

How did you find to find this guy?

Okay.

Well,

Cindy and she just got home from work

and we're sitting out in our patio

and just enjoying the day.

It was a Saturday, you know,

and she said she just got home from work,

and we're sitting there talking

all of sudden.

Tucker jumps up like you just did now.

Left us.

Tucker jumps up and

takes off for the creek,

barking like crazy and actin abnormal.

But

a lot of times you could be a fisherman

or a hiker down there,

and but he'll come back when we call him.

And he did not.

So I said to Cindy,

We need to go

get on the golf cart

and drive down here and get Tucker

so he doesn't bother somebody,

because normally

I said he would come back and so, yeah,

we drove down there on the golf

cart and Cindy gets off the golf cart.

She's going to try to get Tucker

to come back to the house

and he's barking over the bank

really loud.

And all of a sudden this guy stands up.

And I looked at him

and I said I knew who he was.

And he stood up

from the front photos, from video

I mean, from the photos

and see him on TV.

Oh, absolutely.

Yeah.

We're seen,

you know,

he's it's

been what it was nine or ten days

he was on the loose.

Yeah.

And, you know, we've seen plenty of

photos, photos and news coverage

and whatnot.

And so I recognize

that we didn't have a shirt on.

They had these pictures of tattoos

and whatnot.

And I asked him, I said,

what are you doing?

He said, I'm camping. Well,

he wasn't camping.

But anyway,

I told,

send it,

get on the golf cart, you know,

and I didn't bother alarm him to,

you know, I didn't know what he'd do.

Right. And I said, have a nice day.

Cindy jumps on the golf

crunches, looks at him,

and I said, Yeah, that's him.

Do you think he knew that

you recognized him?

I don't know how he could not.

But he hasn't had access to the news

to know that he's plastered everywhere.

So I don't really

we really don't know that

Were you guys afraid at all?

I mean, you would have a good reason

to be.

Oh, absolutely.

Because, you know, the

you know, the news

and everything we're saying.

He could be armed and dangerous.

So I don't know,

does he have a gun or, you know,

what's going on?

So it's like,

you know,

Cindy Dog and I,

we got to get back to the house.

You know, it's so interesting

because a couple of days ago,

I interviewed the person who spotted him

the last time he escaped.

And that person's

dog also alerted him

to this guy's presence.

So this is the second time a dog

has alerted to

to this guy's presence

on somebody's property.

How does it feel, Cindy, to know that

all three of you helped capture this guy?

It's really surreal.

Like not what I expected

to be doing Saturday night in the lead,

but very glad

that we were able to And

dogs, no dogs, no people.

Yeah, they sense things.

So, you know,

because it could have been a fisherman

and we wouldn't have reacted that way.

Yeah.

How hard was it from

when you call to win police?

Because I imagine that weight

must have been pretty scary.

It felt like forever,

but it wasn't very long

that the first officer were here.

What, ten, 15 minutes?

It seemed like forever

because we're staying out in the porch

watching, you know,

just to make sure

he's not coming up

towards the house or anything.

And but,

you know, they were here pretty quick.

And at that point,

did he try to run at all,

do you know, or did he

it was he just waiting there?

We don't know.

He didn't wait there?

No, he had it up the creek,

but we don't know

because we left the area

it's probably 300 yards from the house

where he was. Okay.

Well, Cindy and Ron, I'm clear.

I'm glad there's

a happy ending to all of this.

And I'm glad you guys are okay.

And I did. Tucker, get something?

Some special treats.

Oh, my.

Yes.

You said

money and state dinner tomorrow night.

Wow. All right.

Good. Well, I. You all deserve steaks.

Thanks so much.

Yes, it will be a family affair.

Good.

Cindy and Ron Eklund, thank you so much.

Thank you. Have a good day.