WARWICK TOWNSHIP, Lancaster County — A 53-year-old Lititz man accused of firing a semi-automatic weapon into two vehicles earlier this month and falsely reporting to police that his handgun was stolen was taken into custody without incident by Northern Lancaster County Regional police Tuesday morning.
Ernest Henry Freise Jr. was arrested at a residence on the 100 block of Edgewood Drive shortly after 8 a.m., police say. Police recovered a 9mm semi-automatic handgun after executing a search warrant at the home.
Police say their investigation began with a call on August 10, when officers were summoned to a residence on the 100 block of Brian Drive at 11:55 p.m. for a report of shots fired. They discovered two cars in front of the residence were damaged. Police collected spent shell casings and bullet fragments from the scene. They conducted door-to-door interviews with residents, including Friese.
Later that day, Friese contacted police and reported that his handgun was stolen. During the investigation of both incidents, it was determined that there was probable cause for the issuance of a warrant to locate firearms in Friese’s house. Police executed the warrant and found the handgun Friese had reported stolen. The gun was allegedly hidden in a suspended ceiling in the basement of the home.
Friese was taken into custody and transported to Northern Lancaster County Regional Police headquarters for processing. He is charged wtih making false reports to law enforcement, possession of the instruments of crime, criminal mischief, and propulsion of missles onto the roadway, police say.
