A New York fugitive authorities had warned was “armed and dangerous” has been arrested after a dayslong search tied to the death of his 70-year-old father and an intentionally set fire at the family home, officials said Sunday.
Thomas David Ryan, 32, was captured in the Gilboa area of Schoharie County, according to New York State Police. The arrest ended a statewide manhunt that began after his father, Robert Ryan, was discovered dead Thursday night inside his burning home in Greenville. Investigators said the blaze was the result of arson.
Authorities have not yet disclosed what led them to Ryan or the circumstances surrounding his arrest. State Police said additional details are expected to be released at a later time.
The investigation started at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, when troopers responded to reports of a house fire on Greenville Turnpike in Orange County.
Once firefighters extinguished the flames, they found a man dead inside the residence. Police later confirmed the victim was 70-year-old Robert Ryan.
Investigators determined the fire had been deliberately started, and Robert Ryan’s death was classified as a homicide. Soon after, police shifted their focus to locating his son.
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State Police said Thomas David Ryan did not live with his father and, at the time of the investigation, had no other known connections to the Greenville area.
As the search expanded, investigators said they believed Ryan may have fled in his father’s gray 2016 Toyota Prius. Police repeatedly cautioned the public that he should be considered “armed and dangerous,” advising anyone who saw him to call 911 immediately and not attempt to confront him.
Police combed through surveillance video from homes and businesses, trying to trace Ryan’s movements after the killing. Residents in Greenville and nearby communities were asked to check footage recorded from about 6 p.m. Thursday through the overnight hours.
Police said Ryan had stayed at shelters across New York and was known to frequent the Plattsburgh area, more than 200 miles north of Greenville. Investigators checked places where he had previously stayed and worked with rail operators because Ryan was known to travel by train.
The investigation eventually involved the FBI, NYPD, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Middletown and Port Jervis, along with several State Police investigative units and other state and county agencies.
Police have not disclosed a possible motive, how Robert Ryan died or what charges Thomas Ryan faces.
