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School Break-In Suspect Fights Officers, Suffers Fatal Medical Emergency During Arrest

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GREENSBURG (KDKA) – A man accused of breaking into a Westmoreland County middle school on Thursday died after suffering a medical emergency while fighting with police.

According to police, the Greensburg Salem Middle School was placed on limited lockdown after someone broke into the school early Thursday morning.

Video surveillance shows a man, later identified as Ian Sagucio, breaking into the school around 5:41 a.m. He gained entry to the building by breaking the handle off a steel door with his hands.

Sagucio wandered around the school for a brief period of time before exiting the building at 6:02 a.m. Out of an abundance of caution, the school was placed on limited lockdown, which was lifted a short time later.

Meanwhile, police had encountered Sagucio twice in the previous 24 hours.

Once he was identified as the suspect in the middle school break-in, officers went to his home to place him under arrest.

"He always seemed to have an irate, aggressive, violent attitude toward officers every time we dealt with him," Greensburg Police Captain Robert Stafford said.

Police said Sagucio was "extremely agitated and irate" when he confronted officers at the front door of the home. Sagucio allegedly grabbed an officer by the wrist and dragged him into a small hallway.

Officers attempted to place handcuffs on Sagucio, but he refused to comply. Officers also attempted to use a Taser on Sagucio, which had no effect.

It took officers about five minutes to handcuff Sagucio. Moments later, Sagucio appeared to suffer a medical emergency.

An ambulance was called and officers began performing CPR. However, Sagucio could not be revived and was pronounced dead at Westmoreland Hospital.

This was not the first time Sagucio had fought with officers and resisted arrest.

In October, a woman called police claiming Sagucio was high while watching her kids. He was allegedly high on Coricidin cough and cold medicine.

In that incident, Greensburg Police said when they tried to talk to Sagucio, he was out of it and angry.

"He started breathing heavily, pacing back and forth. He wouldn't listen to the command of the police officers," Stafford said. "He was, at the time, holding something in his hand, hiding it."

Worried it might be a gun, police took Sagucio into custody, but not before he injured at least one officer.

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