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Robbery suspect apprehended in West Virginia

By Jackie Beranek 2 min read

SPRINGHILL TWP. – State police at Uniontown said home invasion robbery suspect Richard Darrell Decost has been taken into custody in West Virginia, and extradition to Pennsylvania is pending. According to police, Decost allegedly forced his way into Fonda Conaway’s home along Route 857, Springhill Township, on Feb. 3 and cut her arm with a knife. Police also said that Decost allegedly took Conaway’s purse, which was on her kitchen table, and a leather coat belonging to Conaway before he fled. Police have listed no age or address for Decost.

In a recent telephone interview, Conaway said she was getting ready for work around 7 a.m. Feb. 3 when she saw Decost pull into her driveway to look at a car her husband was trying to sell.

Conaway said that when Decost returned around 8:30 a.m., she told him that her husband, who was working in California state, wanted $800 for the car. She said that when she turned from the door for a split-second, he charged her and knocked her to the floor.

Conaway said her two teen-age children were upstairs and heard the struggle between her and Decost, so she screamed for them to stay upstairs and call 911.

Conaway said the man was hollering at the children and telling them to come downstairs.

“He started going to the stairs, where my kids were, so I fought him as hard as I could,” said Conaway. “He then pulled out a knife and cut my arm before knocking me back to the ground.”

Conway said she had to have three butterfly stitches in her arm and had a sore neck and bruises on her face. Her children were not harmed.

Conaway gave a detailed description of the man to the police and described the vehicle in which he fled.

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