NY police arrest ‘armed and dangerous’ fugitive suspected of murdering elderly father, setting house on fire

An “armed and dangerous” New York fugitive suspected of killing his 70-year-old father and setting the family home ablaze was captured Sunday, ending a multiday manhunt that drew in the FBI and police agencies across the state.

Thomas David Ryan, 32, was taken into custody in the Gilboa area of Schoharie County, New York State Police said. Authorities had been searching for Ryan since his father, Robert Ryan, was found dead inside his burning Greenville home Thursday evening. Police said the fire was deliberately set.

Police did not say how Ryan was found or provide details about his arrest. They said more information would be released later.

The case began around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, when state troopers were called to a house fire on Greenville Turnpike in Orange County.

After firefighters put out the blaze, a man was found dead inside the home. Police later identified him as Robert Ryan, 70.

Investigators determined the fire had been set intentionally and began treating Robert Ryan’s death as a homicide. Police soon began searching for his son.

Ryan did not live with his father and had no other known ties to the Greenville area at the time, according to State Police.

Investigators believed Ryan left in his father’s gray 2016 Toyota Prius. As the search widened, police repeatedly described him as “armed and dangerous” and urged anyone who spotted him to call 911 rather than approach him.

Thomas David Ryan, 32, has been arrested after allegedly killing his 70-year-old father and burning down his family’s house in upstate New York. New York State Police

Ryan’s father was found dead in the burning Greenville house. FOX5 New York

Police combed through surveillance video from homes and businesses, trying to trace Ryan’s movements after the killing. Residents in Greenville and nearby communities were asked to check footage recorded from about 6 p.m. Thursday through the overnight hours.

Police said Ryan had stayed at shelters across New York and was known to frequent the Plattsburgh area, more than 200 miles north of Greenville. Investigators checked places where he had previously stayed and worked with rail operators because Ryan was known to travel by train.

The investigation eventually involved the FBI, NYPD, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Middletown and Port Jervis, along with several State Police investigative units and other state and county agencies.

Police have not disclosed a possible motive, how Robert Ryan died or what charges Thomas Ryan faces.