Two Tennessee fugitives, on the lam after being charged with attempted murder and kidnapping, are reportedly in the area, and tri-state police departments are urging local residents to "stay vigilant."

Two Tennessee fugitives, on the lam after being charged with attempted murder and kidnapping, are reportedly in the area, and tri-state police departments are urging local residents to “stay vigilant.”



The duo, Jarret Cole Heitmann, 24, and Makayla Danielle Stilwell, 22, are considered “armed and dangerous” by law enforcement. Their last verified sighting was around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, June 24, at the Walmart in Matamoras, Pa., according to Chad Stewart, chief of police for the Eastern Pike Regional Police Department in Pennsylvania.



The suspects purchased clothing, stole a hat and then left on foot, Stewart said.



Although the suspects’ whereabouts are unknown at this time, social media surged, especially Facebook, Thursday afternoon with reports from users that the fugitives were spotted in Milford, Pa., around 2 p.m. and that helicopters and police were “everywhere” looking for them in the woods.



Stewart said that he was aware of the potential sightings in Milford but could not confirm them, saying the fugitives “could be anywhere.”



In addition, a trooper from the New Jersey State Police barracks in Augusta, who declined to state his name, verified that heavy state police activity was in Montague early Thursday morning after the barracks received a phone call from an individual that the suspects had been spotted.



The trooper said that the reports were later deemed “bogus” but stated he has received “numerous” calls from people saying they have seen the fugitives in Sussex County.



New Jersey State Police spokesman Trooper Alejandro Goez said that although there have been no confirmed sightings of the suspects in the state, police departments are working closely with local and state agencies in regard to the individuals.



“We are asking everyone to stay vigilant as we work closely (with our partners),” he said.



Stewart said that all residents should stay alert and “if you see something, say something” to local or state police.



It is unknown how or why the suspects traveled to the tri-state area. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which has listed the fugitives on its “Top 10 Most Wanted” list, said their preferred mode of transportation is either by freight train or by hitchhiking.



Heitmann is described as white with brown hair and hazel eyes, standing at 6 feet 1 inch and weighing 165 pounds.



Stilwell is described as white with brown hair and green eyes, standing at 5 feet 9 inches and weighing 145 pounds.



According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, on June 20, an officer with the Sullivan County (Tenn.) Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting. Heitmann and Stilwell were initially identified by witnesses as suspects in the shooting.



An hour prior, Heitmann and Stilwell were positively identified as responsible for an aggravated kidnapping that had occurred in Hawkins County, Tennessee, and led to the shooting incident in Sullivan County, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation stated in a press release.



Firearms used in the shooting have yet to be recovered, the bureau stated, and Heitmann and Stilwell are expected to be armed.



According to the Kingsport Times News in Tennessee — which reported that Heitmann and Stilwell, both of Kingsport, Tenn., are believed to be dating — the duo abducted a woman, who apparently knew the victim well, from her own home and forced her at gunpoint to knock on the victim’s door and lure him out of his home and into the front yard.



Heitmann and Stilwell then allegedly shot the victim in the chest and fled, according to police. The victim reportedly remains hospitalized.



The bureau said that “associates” of Heitmann indicated that he is always armed and no known vehicles are associated with either Heitmann or Stilwell.



The Kingsport Times News also indicated that beside having handguns, Heitmann may be armed with an AR-15 rifle.



In New York, where the suspects were allegedly spotted on Saturday, June 24, in Pine Bush, the situation is being treated as if the fugitives “could be anywhere,” according to New York State Police Troop F Trooper Steven Nevel.



News reports also indicate that the suspects broke into a man’s home in the Bloomingburg, N.Y., area and “terrorized him for hours” around 3 a.m. Sunday but the identities of those individuals have not been verified by police yet.



Of importance right now, Nevel said, is for all residents of the tri-state area, Sussex County included, to stay “vigilant.”



“We don’t know their train of thought or the direction they are headed,” he said. “They could take a car and be in a stolen vehicle, we don’t know.”



Anyone with any information is urged to call the New Jersey State Police barracks in Augusta at 973-383-1515, Netcong at 973-347-1000 or Hope at 908-459-5000.



The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to their arrests. Anyone with information concerning the fugitives’ whereabouts can call 1-800-TBI-FIND.



Lori Comstock can also be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.