Suspect arrested in South Jersey after shooting at officers, stealing police vehicle: Sources

This story originally appeared on 6abc.

Sources confirm to Action News that the suspect taken into custody in South Jersey after opening fire on officers in Philadelphia has been identified as a 41-year-old man who was wanted for attempted homicide.

The manhunt for Arthur Henry Disanto Jr. lasted several hours on Monday night, and came to an end just before 12 a.m. when a gun battle ensued between Disanto Jr. and officers in Washington Township.

Court records show he has a long criminal history dating back to the 1990s. DiSanto Jr. was wanted by both the FBI and Pennsylvania State Police for allegedly shooting a woman in her Media home on July 3. He’s been charged with criminal attempted homicide and other counts for that incident.

Sources tell Action News that Disanto Jr. was shot during the Monday arrest. He was transported to an area hospital where he’s expected to survive.

A police officer was also shot and suffered non-life-threatening injuries while trying to apprehend the man, sources confirm. Further details on the shooting and what department the officer belonged to were not immediately available.
The incident started around 7 p.m. in Delaware County, Pennsylvania when police officers attempted to pull over Disanto Jr., who was riding in a motorcycle.

The man fled Folcroft police officers, but he was later stopped by on the 8400 block of Lindbergh Boulevard in Southwest Philadelphia.

As investigators approached, the man got off the motorcycle and opened fire on Folcroft officers, according to authorities. No officers were injured in the gunfire.

Disanto Jr. then managed to steal a Folcroft police SUV and led officers on a brief chase. He was able to make it to Deptford, New Jersey where he eluded police officers for hours while armed with a personal weapon, and tactical gear and a bulletproof that was allegedly stolen from the cruiser.

The stolen police SUV was recovered early Monday evening in Deptford. Some of the windows were blown out due to gunfire from the initial shooting in Philadelphia.

Police brought in a SWAT vehicle to search the neighborhoods before finally apprehending the suspect in Washington Township.

More details on the incident are expected to be released Tuesday morning.