The manhunt for a man wanted in a stabbing in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, ended after more than 12 hours Friday morning with the man taken into custody.
Brian Kobs was found and taken into custody in Tewksbury, local police said. He was found in a shed behind a home on Chandler Street, across the street from Tewksbury Hospital, the state-run mental health facility where the stabbing happened about 7 p.m. Thursday.
"As soon as the police pulled in I said " What's going on they were out there with guns drawn," neighbor Phil Wyatt said.
It was Wyatt's shed where Kobs was found. He said he knew the search was going on but never imagined it would end in his backyard.
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"They followed the footprints over right through my backyard – footprints in the snow."
Tewksbury police say Kobs was taken to the hospital after he was captured. When he was released, police say he attacked two officers while being booked, wracking up additional charges.
Kobs faces charges of attempted murder, breaking and entering, possession of a class E Drug, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a police officer, threatening to commit a crime and assault with a dangerous weapon. He also had two outstanding warrants for unrelated cases, according to police.
He is being held without bail pending arraignment at Lowell District Court on Tuesday.
Officers were called to the hospital after Brian Kobs fled the scene in a hurry after stabbing someone following some sort of dispute, Tewksbury police said.
The two people knew each other, according to Police Chief Ryan Columbus, who said he believes this was a targeted attack not a random act of violence.
Officials haven't said why Kobs was at the hospital, which provides treatment for adults with medical and mental illnesses.
Police searched for Kobs Thursday night with K-9s for hours after he fled the scene. He was considered armed and dangerous, and residents in the area were asked to stay on high alert.
The victim was taken to another local hospital and at last check is expected to survive, police said.
Chris Bradley, who lives near the home where Kobs was found, said it "was absolutely crazy" that the manhunt ended nearby.
"We have a lot of kids in this neighborhood, so the more that they can be safe, that's all that matters," Bradley said.
Tewksbury Hospital is located on East Street near the former site of Tewksbury State Hospital, which is now home to a museum.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Tewksbury Police Department. Anonymous tips can be left here.
