CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — A Harrisburg woman is in police custody after allegedly threatening churchgoers in Cumberland County.
Pennsylvania State Police responded to the Bethel Assembly of God Church in South Middleton Township on Sunday morning to reports of an armed woman threatening churchgoers as they were entering for service around 10 a.m.
Authorities say church patrons distracted the woman, 30-year-old Amber Leiann Espigh, until troopers could arrive and place her into custody.
Espigh has been charged with risking catastrophe, unlawful body armor, harassment, simple assault, firearms not to be carried without a license, terroristic threats, and other criminal charges.
It was later determined that Espigh was also involved in a burglary earlier Sunday morning in Fairview Township, York County.
According to police, around 9 a.m. on Oct. 23, Espigh pointed a gun at a woman outside of a gym, claiming she had just "trashed the place." Reports state that Espigh allegedly demanded the woman show her identification, saying, "I will shoot you on sight."
The woman handed Espigh her license, who then told her she was investigating human trafficking, organ harvesting and made comments about needing to prepare the hospitals.
Espigh then handed the woman's driver's license back to her and left the parking lot, according to police.
The affidavit states that the gym owner arrived at the scene. He reported that the back door was open and that he found many items lying around the gym. These items included various clothes, personal papers, a laptop, ammunition and an AR15-style magazine.
Additionally, police found a 9mm bullet and an empty 9mm casing lying beside it.
Police located a letter addressed to Amber Espigh at the scene, which included a social security card.
Following the church incident, Espigh made comments to police about a "shooting in a gym." In a later police interview, Espigh reportedly told police she entered the gym early in the morning, slept inside and then destroyed items inside.
She allegedly stole a baseball book she found inside and fired two practice rounds at gym weights.
Following the police interview, Espigh was charged with burglary, criminal trespassing, simply assault by physical menace, disorderly conduct, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, failure to relinquish firearms as required by order, criminal mischief, and theft by unlawful taking.
