KITZMILLER: Tuesday, in Pennsylvania, a guy from South Dakota was taken into custody a few hours after he was accused of killing a woman by shooting her and setting her house on fire. According to the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office, Nikolas Patrick James, 46, of Sioux Falls, was being held in Pittsburgh following his apprehension by local law enforcement.
His extradition to Maryland was pending. It was just after 5:30 a.m. when the fire on East Main Street was reported. Firefighters found Juanita Katherine James, 70, at the rear of the house suffering from a deadly gunshot wound, according to the sheriff’s office.
A successful closure
It wasn’t immediately clear how Juanita James and Nikolas James were related. Nikolas James was promptly named as a suspect by the authorities, who also initiated a local manhunt after releasing his picture and the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica he was allegedly driving on social media.
The Pittsburgh Police, Maryland State Police, Office of the State Fire Marshal, and Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit all provided assistance to the detectives. Garrett County Sheriff Bryson Meyers stated, ”
… the successful closure to this case was the result of a collaborative effort between multiple police agencies and jurisdictions.” “The hard work and dedication of the detectives and officers involved helped bring this case to a successful and quick closure.”