Inside the capture of a ‘cop killer’

MOUNTAINHOME, Pa. — Scott Malkowski, a task force commander with the U.S. Marshals Service, spied a figure moving from the woods toward an abandoned airplane hangar in the Pocono Mountains. Looking at his face, his black hat and fleece, and his height and weight, Malkowski was certain he had his man.

"Suspect," he told the two operators by his side, and they fanned out on either side of their quarry, who had no idea he'd just been spotted. Hidden by tall grass, Malkowski moved stealthily toward his target, adrenaline coursing through his body.

Eric Frein didn't stand a chance.

The Marshals Service was one of several state and federal law enforcement agencies that took part in the intensive manhunt for Frein — the survivalist and marksman charged in a deadly sniper attack outside the Blooming Grove state police barracks — and wound up nabbing him on the 48th day of the search.

The search operation involved hundreds of law enforcement officials fanned out across the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania and cost about $10 million.Photo: AP

Frein had an initial court appearance Friday morning and remained jailed without bail on first-degree murder and other charges in the Sept. 12 ambush that killed Cpl. Bryon Dickson and critically wounded Trooper Alex Douglass.

He did not have a lawyer and was not asked to enter a plea. A preliminary hearing was set for Nov. 12.

The district attorney plans to seek the death penalty.

Until his capture around 6 p.m. Thursday, Frein had some residents beginning to wonder if law enforcement was up to the task, given the rugged terrain of the Poconos and the evident skill with which he eluded dogs, thermal-imaging cameras and teams of heavily armed officers.

Scott Kimball, though, never had a doubt.

FBI agents prepare to patrol the woods Oct. 18.Photo: AP

"We expected to find him," said Kimball, 48, a Virginia-based member of the U.S. Marshals' special operations group.

On Thursday, Kimball was stationed in a command post while Malkowski, 44, and other members of the team — acting on a request from Pennsylvania State Police — worked to clear an abandoned resort. About two hours in, Malkowski and two others approached the hangar at the old Birchwood-Pocono Airpark.

"We just had a hunch that if we were on the run, this is a place we would hide," he said.

Once Frein was spotted, Malkowski and his team sneaked up on the fugitive. They were about 25 yards away when Frein finally realized he wasn't alone. Malkowski identified himself as law enforcement and ordered Frein, who was unarmed but had weapons in the hangar, to get on the ground.

"What's your name?" Malkowski asked.

Frein told him.

Using dogs, thermal imaging technology and other tools, law enforcement officials combed miles of forest for 48 days.Photo: AP

He made no attempt to flee and didn't put up a fight.

"He had nowhere to go. There is nothing he could've done," Malkowski said, adding: "From what I saw, he felt defeated because we'd won. We'd defeated him."

After the marshals turned him over to state police, Frein was placed in Dickson's handcuffs and driven in Dickson's squad car to the Blooming Grove barracks.

Frein, 31, could be seen with a gash on the bridge of his nose and a scrape over his left eye. Malkowski and Kimball said he suffered the injuries while marshals had him down on the pavement.

Malkowski said his first thoughts upon Frein's capture were "relief for the community, for Pennsylvania State Police, and closure for Cpl. Dickson's family that he's finally in custody."

State troopers escort Frein from the Blooming Grove barracks early Friday October 31st.Photo: AP Photo/The Scranton Times & Tribune, Jason Farmer

Authorities said they were trying to reconstruct Frein's time on the run. They believe he broke into cabins and other places for food and shelter, and he evidently found time to shave — he had a neatly trimmed goatee when he was caught.

State police Lt. Col George Bivens put the cost of the manhunt at about $10 million.

Troopers questioned Frein, but authorities would not disclose what he told them or discuss a possible motive. Authorities have said Frein had expressed anti-law enforcement views online and to people who knew him.

With the manhunt over, tactical experts like Malkowski and Kimball were getting ready to leave the northeastern Pennsylvania woods behind.

Kimball's next mission? "Go home to see my kids."

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Stephen Hawking’s marriage captured in ‘The Theory of Everything’

Marriage ​​is hard work, goes the saying. But what about being married to one of the world's most brilliant men — afflicted with one of the most debilitating diseases?

Jane and Stephen Hawking in 1990.Photo: Getty Images

The new film "The Theory of Everything," adapted from Jane Hawking's 2008 memoir "Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen," tells the unconventional love story of the renowned theoretical physicist and his former wife.

When the two first met at Cambridge University in the early 1960s, Stephen was a charismatic, laid-back student with a reputation for doing minimal work. Felicity Jones, who plays Jane in the film and researched the role through meetings with her real-life counterpart, says the real Jane and Stephen connected instantly. "It was very much love at first sight. He had gray eyes and a lovely smile," Jones tells The Post.

Stephen's essential cool is a quality the physicist has retained through all of his physical changes, says actor Eddie Redmayne, who plays him in the film. "There's this glint in his eye — this sense of mischief," Redmayne, who met with Stephen prior to shooting, tells The Post. "He doesn't miss a beat. He says very little, but he's in complete control of a room."

The Hawking's wedding day in 1965, right, and Jones and Redmayne in the movie's depiction.Photo: Focus Features; Alma Books

Jane and Stephen quickly became an item despite their differing worldviews — she a churchgoer who studied medieval love poetry, he a cosmology scholar and vehement atheist. As the film shows, Jane was the one to prod Stephen out of a bleak depression when, at age 21, he was given the chilling diagnosis of motor neuron disease (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), with two years to live. The couple married in 1965 and had three children, while Stephen became increasingly well-known for his findings on black holes and the nature of time. They traveled the world as Stephen accepted one academic prize after another, with Jane serving as his full-time nurse in addition to caring for their brood.

Photo: Getty Images

The physicist refused to consider hiring outside help — or even, largely, to discuss his rapidly deteriorating condition with his wife. "I well understood," she writes, "that if once he admitted the gravity of his condition, his courage might fail him."

But due to his reticence, the entirety of the work of taking care of him — not to mention leaving him large swaths of time in isolation to think his brilliant thoughts — fell to Jane.

"He required my help with the minutiae of every personal need, dressing and bathing, as well as with larger movements," she writes. "Food had to be cut into small morsels so that he could eat with a spoon . . . I felt like that traveller, who had fallen into a black hole: stretched, tugged and pulled like a piece of spaghetti by uncontrollable forces."

Eventually, she convinced her husband to let her hire a friend to help them: her choirmaster, Jonathan Hellyer Jones (played in the film by Charlie Cox), with whom she shared an attraction that both hid for many years. He grew close to both Jane and Stephen, living with them for a time. "Theirs was a very unconventional relationship — a three-way relationship," says Jones. "But love comes in many different forms, and when people are going through the difficulty of dealing with disease, you find any way to survive."

Soon thereafter, Stephen would survive solely thanks to Jane; after a choking incident (common for ALS sufferers) left him comatose, doctors doubtfully asked her whether he should be revived or not, telling her he would never be able to speak again or breathe unassisted. She angrily insisted he be revived.

The couple in 1989.Photo: Getty Images

They went on to hire a personal nurse for Stephen. Elaine Mason, Jane quickly realized, had designs on being more than just a health aide — and viewed Stephen through the lens of his vast celebrity. He was now a cultural fixture, thanks to the success of his 1988 book, "A Brief History of Time."

Hawking with Elaine Moss in 2004.Photo: Getty Images

And he enjoyed Mason's attention, Jane writes: "Apparently he had not liked being treated as but one member of the family when he considered his rightful place to be on a pedestal at the centre. Someone had come along who was prepared to worship at his feet and make him the focal point of her life."

Stephen would eventually divorce Jane and marry Elaine; Jane would marry Jonathan the choirmaster.

The film's climactic scene depicting their split is widely open to interpretation, according to Redmayne. "Everyone has a different opinion," he says. "Some people will say, 'How could she leave him?' But I saw it as that his life had been entirely reliant on her, and he couldn't imagine a sense of being independent. Suddenly he had found someone who was falling for him, and reinvigorating him with a sense of pride. And I think he had also witnessed her chemistry with Jonathan when he lived with them. I feel like it was a release more than a breakup."

The former spouses are said to be friendly today (he and Mason divorced in 2007, while Jane and Hellyer Jones are still married), and both came to watch the filming of "The Theory of Everything."

"There was this moment," says Jones, "where they were both on set, watching us being them when they first met. Which was very surreal."​

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What The Decider Team Streamed This Week

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We spent the last month recommending plenty of great shows and movies to stream online, but what have the members of the Decider enjoyed in the last week? We'd like to share that with you, too — and tell you where to stream them, of course.

Project Runway 

Who's got two thumbs and cried during the Season 13 finale of Project Runway? Mostly the kids I was babysitting at the time. But I got choked up, too. The emotional finale did not disappoint, with a stellar New York Fashion Week runway show, and harsh scrutiny from the judges. Without giving away spoilers, I was really hoping the runner up would win, but agreed with the judges that the winner ultimately put on the best show. —Terri Ciccone [Where to stream Project Runway]

Bob's Burgers

SO MUCH Bob's Burgers. I've been trying to get into character of my Halloween costume inspiration/soul sister/general life spirit guide, Linda Belcher. I streamed the entire second and third seasons from Sunday until now and I have to say, I feel prepared to strut into that Halloween party in style, equipped with my best pair of mom jeans and apron. Alriiiight! —Olivia Armstrong [Where to stream Bob's Burgers]

Clue

I was searching through Netflix for a non-scary murder type, and I'm all, "I've never seen Clue and OMG Tim Curry," so I watched it. If you're in the mood to lay around in pumpkin innards and candy corn and do absolutely nothing, watch Clue. Tim Curry's the absolute man and you'll definitely enjoy watching him run around all over the place. —Jaclyn Kessel [Where to stream Clue]

Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage

Spurred on by Team Decider's recent viewing of History Of The Eagles, I dove into (for a second time) Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage, the 2010 rock doc that celebrates the titular Toronto rock trio. Is there a disclaimer coming? You bet: Rush has been one of my favorite bands since childhood. I play the drums because of Neil Peart. And over the years I've screened every video and feature length release on the band.

But though quietly mega successful since the '70s, there had never been a feature length documentary on Rush before this movie. Maybe that's for the best, as filmmakers Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn were clearly the right people to take on this monumental calling. Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage is fast-paced, funny, touching (via rather unreal home videos of a teenaged Alex Lifeson announcing to his nonplussed family his intentions to pursue music), and studded with star cameos by the band's famous fans (hello Jack Black, Trent Reznor, and many others).

Personal anecdotal evidence has revealed that non-Rush fans enjoy this film nearly much as the converted. And just look at its Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 94 — those can't all be Rush fans. (The critics' score is 100, by the way.) —Conrad Doucette [Where to stream Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage]

The Rehab Addict

This week, it was all about comfort shows. I watched the second season of The I.T. Crowd, which remains one of my all-time favorite comedy shows. I also dug into The Rehab Addict on Netflix. I had seen a few episodes of the home improvement/real estate hybrid show before, but this time, I found myself absolutely hooked by Nicole Curtis' insane plans to rehab an old Minnesota mansion into the house of her dreams. I can proudly say that I know now how to paint doors in winter weather. —Megan O'Keefe [Where to stream The Rehab Addict]

Saw

Ugh, I watched Saw. What was I thinking? I hadn't seen it before, and have avoided, for the most part, any movie that falls under the torture porn umbrella, but I thought I'd give it a shot. It's as gross as I expected, although I quite enjoyed Cary Elwes' highlights. —Tyler Coates [Where to stream Saw]

Like what you see? Follow Decider on Facebook and Twitter to join the conversation, and sign up for our email newsletters to be the first to know about streaming movies and TV news!

Photos: Everett Collection

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Armed thugs assault, rob woman expecting trick-or-treaters

A Long Island woman who expected trick-or-treaters when she answered Halloween night doorknock instead was assaulted by armed thugs in a home invasion robbery, police said.

Four armed, masked men and one woman pushed their way into the home on Beach Street in Farmingdale home when a 34-year-old woman opened her door.

The thugs demanded the family sit down. When the woman's 48-year-old husband refused, the thugs repeatedly pistol-whipped him, said cops.

The robbers bound the couple's hands and feet with duct tape, ransacked the house and fled, said cops.

Soon after the thugs left the woman was able to free her hands and call 911.

The 48-year-old man was rushed to an area hospital, where he was treated for cuts on his head.

The couple's 2-year-old son, who was in the home the whole time, was unharmed.

The male suspects, one of whom was wearing a werewolf mask, are all believed to be about 5-foot-9 and 180 to 200 pounds.

Their female accomplice had a thin build, an Afro-style haircut and was wearing a pair of goggles.

Police said it wasn't immediately clear what was taken during the crime.

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How Yogi’s family is dealing with aftermath of museum burglary

The school buses still pull up in front of the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center so eager kids can stream inside for a tour or to grab a chair for one of the museum's many educational programs. Baseball fans of all ages, but especially the older ones, continue to make their pilgrimages, gladly seizing the opportunity to stroll down what is, at its very essence, a heavily pinstriped memory lane.

Yes, it appears to be business as usual in this corner of the Montclair State University campus in Little Falls, N.J.

Only it isn't. It can't be.

How can it when the heart of the museum has been ripped out twice in the span of a few months — first by the death in March of Carmen Berra, Yogi's wife of 65 years and the museum's matriarch, and, most recently, by last month's burglary, during which museum thieves broke in and reportedly made off with two of Berra's MVP awards and five of his World Series rings along with several other treasured items?

Stealing from Yogi? Really?

"People don't like that this stuff was stolen from Yogi," said Mark Markowitz, president of the museum's board of trustees.

"It's heartbreaking. Forget about the baseball. He's an amazing person. I've never heard anyone say a bad thing about Yogi.

"We have local, state and federal people working on it. It's not easy, but it's also not easy to get rid of this stuff. We'll find it."

A statue of Yogi Berra in front of his museum.Photo: Bill Kostroun

While the investigation into the Oct. 8 burglary continues, a gag order has been placed on the museum's devoted employees who, like so many others, were sent reeling by the theft of the items some memorabilia experts have valued at as much as $2 million.

"I was so angry when I heard," said Lindsay Berra, the 89-year-old Yogi's oldest grandchild and a member of the museum's board. "I was stunned. This has been a rough year for Grandpa, with Grammy passing away, and I was just angry that he was going to have to deal with something like this.

"It's an anger and there's nothing I can do with it. You just have to be angry until you're not angry anymore."

Inside the museum, which was closed for nearly a week in the wake of the thefts, there's little evidence a crime was committed. The exhibits, many of which chronicle the Hall of Fame catcher's Yankees career, look much the same as they had before the break-in.

One exception is an exhibit titled, "Baseball's Ring Leader, 1 Player, 10 Championships." It now bears a sign which reads: "Please Pardon Our Appearance. Exhibit Under Construction."

But, as bleak as things may seem, the news hasn't been all bad. Last week the museum announced Major League Baseball, the Yankees, with whom Yogi played 18 seasons, and the Mets would soon donate exact replicas of the items taken.

"It's really heart warming to see what these three entities did," said Markowitz. "Commissioner [Bud] Selig, the Yankees, the Mets. They called and said, 'What do you need? Just tell us.' … Other people are calling, too. We've been overwhelmed by the response."

Markowitz said the museum will receive replicas of all 27 Yankees world championship rings — as a player Yogi was a member of 10 World Series winning teams — as well as replicas of his three AL MVP awards, and the 1969 Mets world championship ring he was awarded as a coach, along with a few other items.

"When I told Yogi about all that stuff, he was beaming," Markowitz said. "All smiles and he gave the thumbs-up sign. He was loving it."

Yogi BerraPhoto: AP

Lindsay, a national correspondent for MLB.com, was at the World Series when she heard about the donations the commissioner's office, the Yankees and the Mets had pledged.

"The stuff the Yankees and the Mets and MLB are going to do for us is wonderful, and we will turn this into a positive and make the museum a better place," she said. "But it doesn't change the fact that I'm really angry, and I would like to have grandpa's stuff back.

"I cried when I heard [about the donations]. … We're a little museum, and it would be tough for us to go about replacing that stuff on our own. And the fact that they decided to do it is just wonderful.

"It sounds a little hokey because I'm supposed to be a cynical sportswriter, but when my grandmother passed away I just really felt like the baseball community rallied around my grandfather so much. I feel like these bad things happen and we get these collective baseball hugs. And it makes you feel really good that this sport that grandpa spent his whole life giving and giving to is still giving back to him this late in his life."

Like Markowitz, Lindsay said she continues to believe the stolen items will be recovered.

And why shouldn't she feel that way? After all, as a wise man once said, "It's never over till it's over."

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MSG reports revenue jump, thanks in part to Joel concerts

"The Piano Man" helped Madison Square Garden hit the right note in its latest earnings report.

MSG, which is weighing a plan to split its sports and entertainment assets, reported a better-than-expected 12 percent rise in revenue in the quarter ended Sept. 30.

Revenue reflects a 128 percent jump at the entertainment division that includes the newly refurbished arena, where Billy Joel has been playing a once-a-month concert series to sold-out audiences since January.

"Friday is a time slot that's in demand. Any act wants that time slot but having Billy Joel there makes a difference, especially in the summer," said Albert Fried & Co. analyst Richard Tullo.

Shares of the New York company, which also owns Radio City Music Hall and New York sports teams the Knicks and Rangers, rose as much as 3 percent on Friday, hitting an all-time high of $76.45.

MSG said earlier this month it's considering splitting into two publicly traded companies, with its sports teams and cable networks in one company and its entertainment business in another.

With the Knicks and Rangers in their off-seasons, higher sales from concerts and other non-sports events drove growth at the Garden.

"Our results were led by our MSG Entertainment segment, which benefited from The Garden, The Forum and The Theater at Madison Square Garden being open this quarter," MSG CEO Tad Smith said in a statement.

The Garden helped offset lower sales elsewhere as well. Revenue at MSG Media, which houses the flagship sports network, fell 14 percent.

While programming arm recorded higher fees from cable and satellite-TV operators, the hundreds of thousands of customers dropping traditional pay-TV packages had an impact on the business.

The company plans to launch an Internet-based streaming sports service, MSG Go, in December, allowing people to watch games via the Web and mobile devices.

Overall, net income rose to $108.1 million, or $1.38 per share, up from $23.9 million, or 31 cents, in the same quarter a year ago. The results included a $162.4 million gain from the sale of its Fuse network in July.

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It’s no trick, Amazon starts Black Friday season now

Jeff Bezos has declared a Black Friday emergency.

The Amazon boss is moving up the usual shopping kickoff by nearly a month as rivals steal a page from the world's biggest online retailer by offering free shipping and price matching.

Amazon will start its "Black Friday" deals on Saturday, cutting into the Halloween festivities, instead of waiting until the day after Thanksgiving in keeping with tradition.

The Seattle-based company plans to offer two deals of the day from now through Dec. 22. The offers will center on big holiday items, including toys, electronics and kitchen cookware.

Walmart is weighing a plan to match Amazon's online prices this year, while Best Buy, Target and Toys R Us, among others, already match Amazon.com. Target is also offering free shipping on all items on its website through Dec. 20.

Last week, Amazon shares plunged 11 percent after it said sales during the all-important holiday quarter would be lower than Wall Street analysts expected.

Shares of Amazon were up 1.14 percent, or $3.42, at $302.49 in morning trading.

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Accused cop killer charged with murder after dramatic capture

MILFORD, Pa. — Onlookers shouted "Are you sorry?" and "Why did you do it?" at the suspect in a fatal ambush on a Pennsylvania state police barracks as troopers led him from his first court appearance Friday following a grueling seven-week manhunt.

Eric Frein, 31, appeared gaunt and battered as he answered yes or no questions and listened as a judge read the criminal complaint detailing the Sept. 12 attack that killed Cpl. Bryon Dickson and critically wounded Trooper Alex Douglass.

Frein did not have a lawyer and was not asked to enter a plea to first-degree murder and other charges. Frein, who appeared to have a bloody gash on his nose and abrasions on his cheek and above his right eye, remains jailed without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 12.

Pike County District Attorney Raymond Tonkin, who said he would seek the death penalty, told reporters that Frein's capture Thursday brought a degree of comfort to the region after an "unimaginable loss of unspeakable proportions."

State police said troopers have been interviewing Frein, a survivalist found in an abandoned airplane hangar with high-powered weaponry nearby, but would not disclose details of what he told them or a possible motive.

Frein's capture ended a 48-day search through impenetrable woods and forbidding caves, schools and vacation homes. The dragnet involved hundreds of law enforcement officials fanned out across the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania and cost about $10 million, State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said.

In the end, Frein surrendered meekly around 6 p.m. Thursday to a team of U.S. marshals who stumbled across him near the hangar some 30 miles from the rural barracks where he allegedly opened fire Sept. 12, killing a trooper and seriously injuring another.

Authorities placed him in Dickson's handcuffs and put him in Dickson's squad car for the ride back to the Blooming Grove barracks.

"He has been stripped of his guns, his bombs, and now his freedom," Sam Rabadi, chief of the Philadelphia office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said at a late-night news conference.

The quiet takedown of Frein, who kneeled and put his hands up when marshals approached him, ended weeks of tension and turmoil in the area, as authorities at times closed schools, canceled outdoor events and blockaded roads to pursue him. Residents grew weary of hearing helicopters whirring overhead, while small businesses suffered mounting losses and town supervisors canceled a popular Halloween parade.

"It feels good to know there's a guy like this off the streets," said Gregory Kubasek, 19, of Marshalls Creek, who drove to the barracks Thursday night to catch a glimpse of Frein.

State police Commissioner Frank Noonan said Frein was in good health, despite what he described as a "scratch" on his nose that he said was already there when marshals arrested him.

"He looked fairly healthy, healthier than I would've expected," he said.

State police said they didn't know whether Frein, who was unarmed when captured, had been using the hangar as a shelter during his seven weeks on the run, and they wouldn't say what they found there.

"He did not just give up because he was tired," Noonan said. "He gave up because he was caught."

Dickson's family, as well as Douglass and his family, expressed "relief and gratitude" over Frein's arrest, Noonan said.

Police said they linked Frein to the ambush after a man walking his dog discovered his partly submerged SUV three days later in a swamp a few miles from the shooting scene. Inside, investigators found shell casings matching those found at the barracks as well as Frein's driver's license, camouflage face paint, two empty rifle cases and military gear.

Officials, saying Frein was armed and extremely dangerous, had urged residents to be alert and cautious. Using dogs, thermal imaging technology and other tools, law enforcement officials combed miles of forest as they hunted for Frein, whom they called an experienced survivalist at home in the woods. At times, police ordered nearby residents to stay inside or prevented them from returning home.

Trackers found items they believe Frein hid or abandoned in the woods — including soiled diapers, empty packs of Serbian cigarettes, an AK-47-style assault rifle and ammunition, and two pipe bombs that were functional and capable of causing significant damage.

They also discovered a journal, allegedly kept by Frein and found in a bag of trash at a hastily abandoned campsite that offered a chilling account of the ambush and his subsequent escape into the woods. The journal's author described Dickson as falling "still and quiet" after being shot twice.

Authorities said Frein had expressed anti-law enforcement views online and to people who knew him.

Police found a U.S. Army manual called "Sniper Training and Employment" in his bedroom at his parents' house in Candensis, and his father, a retired Army major, called his son an excellent marksman who "doesn't miss," according to a police affidavit. Authorities believe Frein had been planning a confrontation with police for years, citing information they found on a computer used by him.

A man and a woman believed to be Frein's parents, reached separately by telephone on Thursday, declined to comment.

The manhunt had disrupted some plans for trick-or-treating, but Halloween festivities in Barrett Township, in the heart of the search zone, were back on.

"We as a town think the kids have gone through enough," said Ralph Megliola, chairman of the township board of supervisors.

Helen Blackmore, who lives in nearby Cresco, was ready for some normalcy.

"It was very crazy here. The helicopters were out all the time. Nobody was sleeping. Even today they were out," she said. "We're relieved. We're very relieved. We want things to get back to normal."

Frein is charged with first-degree murder and various other offenses, including two counts of possession of weapons of mass destruction filed after police discovered the pipe bombs.

Dickson, at his funeral, was called a devoted husband and father and "impeccable" former Marine who took his work seriously but also enjoyed making wooden toys for his young sons and finding humor in everyday situations.

Douglass was shot in the pelvis and critically injured in the ambush, which took place during a late-night shift change. He remained hospitalized until Oct. 16, when he was discharged to a rehabilitation facility, state police said.

"If you attack troopers, and a civilized society, the Pennsylvania State Police will bring you to justice. Eric Frein is a coward," the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association said in a statement. "Cpl. Bryon K. Dickson II and Trooper Alex T. Douglass are true heroes."

Patrick Moryto, 21, of East Stroudsburg, rushed to the Blooming Grove barracks after he heard Frein had been caught, and got there in time to see him.

Frein was wearing camouflage pants and a dark hooded sweatshirt when he entered the barracks, Moryto said.

Hours later, the former fugitive left in an orange prison jumpsuit.

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Why Taylor Swift makes sense as NYC’s ambassador

Alongside the release of her much anticipated album "1989," Taylor Swift made headlines this week after NYC & Company named her New York City's "Global Welcome Ambassador." And New Yorkers weren't happy about it.

But Swift isn't trying to claim herself as a bona fide New Yorker, and neither is NYC & Company. The summary alongside the promotional video says, "Join Taylor Swift and the 55 million other visitors." Swift is just someone who came and fell in love with the Big Apple.

Most criticized her song "Welcome to New York," as a marketing tool for the campaign that doesn't highlight anything specific about the city. A fair point, but it's also a snappy beat with a simple message: Pack your bags tourists, New York City is waiting for you!

Here's why Taylor Swift as NYC's Global Welcome Ambassador makes sense:

She's the Global Ambassador

Swift arrives at premiere in NYC in August.Photo: AP

Dr. Zizmor is not going to convince someone in New Zealand that NYC will be the trip of a lifetime. But, the pop star who's record-breaking "Red" tour which netted over $150.2 million from 86 performances in 12 countries throughout Asia, Europe and Australia, and was the first female artist to sell out Sydney's Allianz Stadium —might.

More tourists bring more money

Swift arrives at "Late Show with David Letterman," Tuesday October 28th.Photo: FilmMagic

Tourists visiting NYC because they loved "Seinfeld," or want to live inside Jay-Z's song "Empire State of Mind," will still get here. But, Swift's branding attracts a whole new set of starry-eyed kids, a kind of younger "Sex and the City" set with an idealistic image of New York City (as opposed to the struggling, twenty-something Brooklyn milieu of "Girls.")

NYC & Company reported that 54.3 million people, domestic and international, visited New York City in 2013. This resulted in an average of $1,640 tax savings for each New York City household. We should lovingly open our arms to all those Swift fans with parents that willingly shell out for pricey concert tickets. They'll probably also pay for a fancy NYC vacation to give their kid the excitement of a possible Swift sighting.

She's a marketing whiz

Swift performs during 1989 Secret Session with iHeartRadio in NYC October 27th.Photo: Getty Images

A lot of the hype leading up to "1989" can be attributed to Swift's social media skills. With over 12 million Instagram followers and 46 million Twitter followers, she's a whiz at engaging fans with her life. Forbes wrote, "Taylor is not only a music prodigy. She seems to be a marketing one as well." New Yorkers might have winced when she posted a photo of a latte with the caption #WelcometoNY , but if anyone can make the urine-soaked street corners appealing to tourists, it's probably Swift.

She really LOVES NEW YORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

During her appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman Tuesday night, Swift slid in that she's not getting paid for this. And said of NYC & Company's decision, "I guess the city said, she's the most enthusiastic, obnoxious person to ever love New York. She loves it with like 18 exclamation points…" Most New Yorkers would probably also love the city more if they had a $20 million apartment, but tourists aren't interested in a dirty, smelly, cock-roach infested image of NYC. If she loves the city this much, let her paint it as a glittering, magical place where any tourist's dreams could come true.

She's pretty good at what she does

Swift in Vegas in September.Photo: Getty Images

"1989" is predicted to sell 1 million records this week, which would award Swift the title of being the first act to earn three million-selling weeks since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991. ("Speak Now" and "Red" also sold over a million copies in their first weeks.)

Swift has seven Grammys, 15 American Music Awards, 12 Billboard Music Awards and was the first woman to be named Billboard's Woman of the Year twice. Bloomberg Businessweek wrote that "1989 will be the best-selling album of 2014, and it will redefine the metrics for a successful record in the age of Spotify and YouTube." Obviously, she would want to be in the "greatest city in the world," and hey, tourists, you should want to be here too.

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Stephen Baldwin pleads guilty to driving with a suspended license

Hotheaded actor Alec Baldwin's youngest brother, Stephen, pleaded guilty to a traffic infraction Friday in Manhattan court for driving with a suspended license.

Baldwin, 47, also had to pay a $500 fine as part of the plea deal that reduced the charges from a misdemeanor to an infraction.

"I didn't know my license was suspended," he told cops who pulled him over May 2 near Broadway and 16th Street, court papers show. "I had a tax issue but I paid it last week."

Baldwin had his license suspended for $400,000 in unpaid taxes in Rockland County.

He was stopped in a 2013 gold Ford Explorer in the Sugar Hill neighborhood around 6:45 a.m., court papers state. Baldwin also had an expired Texas registration.

This isn't the first time Baldwin, best known for his role as Michael McManus in the 1995 thriller "The Usual Suspects," was busted for driving without a license.

In August of 2012 he was nailed on a similar charge.

The less famous thespian has been promoting his upcoming movie "2047: Sights of Death."

"Mr Baldwin is happy to have cleared up his license in this case and is looking forward to focusing on his work," said his attorney Richard Southard.

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