Patience wearing thin for residents in search area

BLOOMING GROVE, Pa. - Police hunting for alleged cop killer Eric Frein continued Monday to prevent some residents from leaving or getting to their homes in the search area of Barrett and Price Townships in Monroe County.

Emil Rolando, 68, said late Monday morning that he and his wife have not been able to leave their house for three days. And that's a problem, because they are running out of the milk and eggs Rolando's wife needs for a special high-protein diet.

A friend of Rolando's, who had to spend the night because he could not return to his own house, also needs to get home to get his medicine for high blood pressure and low insulin.

"He's been away from his medicine for almost 20 hours," Rolando said. "We're still pleading to get out of the house."

Rolando said he has watched for days as heavily armed police and search dogs have swarmed the area around his house. He said that police Saturday stopped in his yard after a hound started acting "hyper."

"The dog handler opens up his backpack and dumps out a sweater onto the ground," Rolando said. "The dog sniffed the thing and leads these guys right through the woods about 40 feet from my house."

Rolando said a police officer in fatigues and camouflage face paint said they believed Frein had passed through "a day or two before" Saturday.

Rolando, a semiretired welder, said he needs to leave his house to work, and to chop wood for winter.

"There are 50 vehicles driving up and down the road every few minutes. Couldn't one of them escort us to or from the house?" he said.

"I don't mean to be critical, and I'm not complaining. I'm proud of those guys out there. But I don't think they've thought far enough ahead on things."

State police continued to urge caution, warning residents to stay in their homes and away from the woods where officers were searching.