Man accused of hiding syringe in church downspout to avoid jail
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Harrisburg Police arrested a man accused of hiding a hypodermic syringe in a church downspout before entering Harrisburg Medical Center desiring to go to a drug rehabilitation center, according to Chief Bob Smith.
Police arrested Ryan Keith Crawford, 26, 16 W. Park St., Harrisburg, 3:15 p.m. Feb. 6 on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. He remains held at the Saline County Detention Center on $1,000 cash bond.
Smith said he was at Primary Care Center when a friend called him reporting he had watched a man run from Harrisburg Medical Center to a nearby church, stash something in the church downspout and run back to the hospital, Smith said.
Smith said he went to the hospital and was directed to the Trauma 1 room where Crawford was, Smith said.
Smith learned Crawford was supposed to be reporting to the Saline County Detention Center for a reason Smith did not know, and that Crawford was instead trying to get the hospital staff to admit him into a rehabilitation facility, Smith said.
Staff told Smith Crawford had earlier been in the hospital wanting to be admitted to rehab, staff told him they could not admit him and that if he did not leave the hospital they would be calling police, Smith said.
At that point Crawford had left the hospital, is believed to have hidden the syringe with an amount of controlled substance in it in the church downspout, and returned to the hospital to continue to request being admitted to rehab, Smith said.
Smith believes Crawford's intent was to go to rehab instead of jail and upon hearing the police could become involved decided to hide the syringe to avoid a criminal charge, Smith said.
Smith said Crawford admitted the syringe was his.
Sgt. Todd Cavender arrested Crawford.