Triple murder/kidnapping suspect captured in Austintown

Staff/wire reports

AUSTINTOWN

Township police arrested a man early Saturday who is a person of interest in a triple homicide investigation in Chambersburg, Pa.

Police were notified about 4 a.m. that Kevin Matthew Cleeves, 35, may be in the township with his 4-year-old daughter.

Officers found Cleeves’ vehicle in the parking lot of a the Best Western Hotel at state Route 46 and Interstate 80.

Chief Bob Gavalier said Cleeves didn’t get a room at the hotel but was resting in the parking lot.

The vehicle traveled to the parking lot of the Weston Plaza on Route 46 at Mahoning Avenue and Cleeves was arrested and taken to the Mahoning County Jail where he awaits extradition.

His 4-year-old daughter, Leia, was found in the vehicle, unharmed, police said.

Gavalier said Cleeves didn’t struggle with police.

“He said he noticed he was being followed and his biggest concern was his daughter, and he didn’t want anything to happen,” the chief said.

Police found a gun in the rear seat of the vehicle. It was unclear where the little girl was seated in the vehicle.

Cleeves was trying to contact his wife Friday to make arrangements to pick up Leia, but his wife didn’t answer the phone, so he went to a home in Quincy Township, according to wire reports.

Pennsylvania State Police said Cleeves found a woman and a man sitting in a car and began arguing with them, then was ordered to leave. He then shot to death both of them as well as another woman and took the girl, authorities alleged.

Gavalier said the couple was the girl’s mother and the mother’s boyfriend. The other woman is believed to be the boyfriend’s mother.

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