ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - A man accused of beating his dad to death with a baseball bat on Father’s Day was arrested Friday on a Jersey shore boardwalk, officials said.
Michael Marchalk, 37, was taken into custody after Atlantic City police officers spotted him, according to Attorney General Josh Shapiro. He is being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility, pending further proceedings.
Police say Marchalk had repeatedly threatened 60-year-old Gary Marchalk in recent months. The suspect had lived with his father in Barnesville, Pennsylvania, a few days before the beating and was supposed to enter a drug treatment program Monday.
Instead, police say, the suspect beat and robbed his father, took his wallet and car and fled the Ryan Township home the victim shared with his wife, Linda, the Schuylkill county treasurer.
Police say another son found his father’s body Monday and called police.
Shapiro lauded law enforcement in both states in announcing the arrest.
“We were able to locate and arrest a dangerous killer who fled to another state to avoid prosecution for murder,” Shapiro said. “Our prosecutors worked closely with law enforcement all week, and today this fugitive is off the streets.”
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