Knaub

West York Police arrested a homeless man they allege kidnapped a female real estate agent and then forced her to withdraw cash from an automatic teller machine Monday.

Gregory S. Knaub, 36, of no fixed address was arrested in the Codorus Creek in York City after fleeing from police. He was taken to central booking to be processed and arraigned.

He is charged with kidnapping, unlawful restraint, theft, receiving stolen property, false imprisonment and two counts of robbery, according to police. His is York County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail.

He is charged with kidnapping, unlawful restraint, theft, receiving stolen property, false imprisonment and two counts of robbery, according to police.

West York Police arrested Knaub as he attempted to hide in the Codorus Creek. He was submerged in the water and would pop his head up every few seconds for air, police said.

Kidnapping: Knaub met the real estate agent about 10 a.m. at a home for sale in the 1700 block of Monroe Street in West York. Knaub contacted the female real estate agent and set up a showing after seeing an ad in the paper.

After the showing, the woman got in her car to leave, police said.

Knaub allegedly got into the back seat of the woman's sedan and demanded cash or an ATM card. The woman plead edwith Knaub to get out of the car and he responded by brandishing a steak knife, police said.

The woman said she didn't have cash so Knaub forced her to drive to a M&T Bank branch on South Richland Avenue in Spring Garden Township where she withdrew $20 and gave it to Knaub about 10:20 a.m., police said.

Knaub then ordered the woman to drive to the intersection of South Belvidere Avenue and West King Street in York City where he leapt from the car, police said.

The woman drove to the West York Police Station and reported the incident to police about 10:45 a.m.

Search: A West York Police officer was searching the area where Knaub leapt from the car when the officer saw him sitting on a bench in Bantz Park about 11:30 a.m. Knaub fled when he saw the police cruiser, police said.

Additional police officers from York City and West Manchester Township, as well as a York County Sheriff's Department K9 unit, responded to the area to search for the man.

Before the K9 unit arrived, a West York Police officer saw Knaub hiding in the nearby Codorus Creek and arrested him, police said.

After Knaub was arrested, he told police he was homeless and looked at the house to see if it was vacant so he could sleep there, according to his charging documents.

He also told police he has a crack cocaine habit and he used the $20 he got from the woman to buy crack cocaine, which he had ingested before his arrest, the documents state.

- Reach Greg Gross at 505-5434, ggross@yorkdispatch.com, or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/YDcrime.