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August 24, 2007 (Lancaster, PA) – Police have arrested one suspect in Thursday's apparent home invasion, but details are few and neighborhood residents say they're scared.

Neighbors and acquaintances of Todd T. Leuthold are trying to make sense of the death of the Cabbage Hill resident, the victim of what police are calling a targeted robbery.

Lancaster city police were dispatched at 9:25 p.m. Thursday for a report of a home invasion. Arriving at 546 Lafayette St., officers found an unresponsive Leuthold inside, along with a female occupant, police reported.

Leuthold, 50, was taken to Lancaster General Hospital, where he died. The cause of his death remained unknown Friday.

Police had not confirmed Leuthold as the victim as of Friday night, pending notification of family. However, Lancaster County Coroner Dr. G. Gary Kirchner confirmed Leuthold as the victim Friday afternoon.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, Kirchner said.

Cynthia Cordero, who lives a few doors from Leuthold's cream-colored brick house, said she was at home Thursday night when she heard a speeding car go up the street and hit the curb. She said she looked out the window and didn't see anyone.

A few minutes later, Cordero looked again and saw numerous police entering Leuthold's house.

An ambulance crew carried Leuthold out of the house on a stretcher and performed CPR on him, pumping his chest "for quite a while," Cordero said, but she didn't see if he was injured or bleeding.

Police announced they are attempting to locate several potential suspects who were known to Leuthold and the other occupant of the house.

"This incident was not random but was a targeted incident," police said in a news release.

One suspect, a white male, was arrested Friday morning after he led several local police departments on a pursuit on Route 462 from Lancaster to Columbia, investigators reported.

Detectives spotted a vehicle matching the description of a stolen 2003 Saturn involved in the alleged robbery, police said, leading to the chase.

"Stop Sticks" were deployed and flattened the front tires of the car, police said, but the driver continued into Columbia, where the vehicle struck a utility pole.

The suspect was taken into custody and treated for minor injuries and is being held at the Lancaster police station. Police had not released his identity as of Friday night.

Lancaster Police Crime Scene Unit was still at Lafayette Street Friday evening, removing evidence in brown paper bags. Dogs barked and children played on the sidewalks as neighbors looked out from second-story windows and congregated on front porches to talk about the crime.

"It's usually pretty calm around here," one neighbor said. "This is the first incident like this to happen in a long time."

Cordero, who has lived on Lafayette Street with her five children for 3½ years, said the main safety concern on the block has been speeding traffic. She said she has not felt unsafe in the past.

Cordero described Leuthold as a quiet person who kept to himself. She said he never got into arguments with his neighbors.

She said there was a new sense of fear in the neighborhood.

"It has woken us up. Are we going to have safety in our own home when somebody just broke into a man's house and did whatever they did to him?"

Leuthold's acquaintances also were shocked at the news of his death.

The owner of MicroLink Systems of Lancaster, Frank Yohe, who employed Lauthold, said he talked to the man at 6 p.m. Thursday and everything seemed fine.

Leuthold worked for Yohe for nearly 10 years as an independent contractor who did computer maintenance and repairs.

Leuthold lived a private life, Yohe said, and he didn't know much about his personal life. He was originally from Los Angeles and was in the Army for a time, Yohe said.

He had a mother who died last year in California and has a daughter who lives in the Lancaster area, Yohe said.

Leuthold would do computer work for free for people who could not afford to pay, Yohe said. Leuthold kept a number of pet ferrets, which were taken to Humane League of Lancaster County Friday night. Leuthold was known to carry his pet ferrets around the city and wrote about the animals on Web sites.

Leuthold pleaded guilty in January 2000 to one felony count of statutory sexual assault and corruption of a minor. He was sent to prison and paroled six months later, in June 2000.

Yohe said he was willing to hire Leuthold after he got out of prison.

"Todd went through counseling, and everything seemed to be fine," Yohe said. "I always thought he was a nice guy who tried to help people."

-By Michael Yoder, Staff, Intelligencer Journal