A man wanted for attempted murder in Louisiana was arrested Tuesday evening along the New York State Thruway after a license plate reader alert helped State Police track him down.
According to troopers, the alert came in around 6 p.m. for a vehicle linked to a wanted individual. State Police out of Canandaigua located the vehicle minutes later at a 7-Eleven near the Geneva Thruway exit.
The driver, identified as 23-year-old Ethan Middleton, was taken into custody without incident.
While making the arrest, troopers say they spotted two loaded firearms in plain view inside the vehicle, including a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun and a Ruger 9mm AR-style pistol with a 32-round magazine. Both weapons were secured at the scene.
Authorities say Middleton is wanted by the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana on charges including attempted second-degree murder, illegal use of a weapon, and aggravated assault with a firearm.
In New York, Middleton is facing multiple charges, including criminal possession of a weapon and driving while intoxicated.
He was taken to the Ontario County Jail, where he is being held on the New York charges and as a fugitive from justice while awaiting extradition to Louisiana. The vehicle involved has been secured as investigators seek a search warrant.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
