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Mentally Ill Man Jailed 20 Years For Holiday Rampage

Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA) - 10/2/2014

Staff Writer

bhambright@lnpnews.com

A Lititz man recently admitted to a bizarre spree of violent crimes in which he robbed a pizza deliveryman, then led police on a chase to Columbia on New Year's Day.

William Gustafson Jr. pleaded guilty but mentally ill to multiple felony counts regarding the Jan. 1 crimes, which ended when his vehicle crashed into a police car.

Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker accepted the plea agreement and ordered Gustafson to spend 7 to 20 years in state prison.

Gustafson, 20, will be placed in the mental-health unit before being moved to the general prison population.

Defense attorney Steven Breit said Gustafson's mental illness didn't meet the threshold of an insanity defense.

Breit said that Gustafson crashed the car Jan. 1 in an attempt to kill himself.

In June, he attempted suicide at Lancaster County Prison, according to officials. Gustafson's cellmate awoke and discovered Gustafson hanging from his bedding materials. He then held on to Gustafson until staff arrived, officials reported.

During the spree, Gustafson first broke into a camper and a shed in Warwick Township, then robbed a Domino's Pizza delivery driver in Lititz, police reported.

The robbery wasn't planned, according to Breit. Gustafson randomly came across the man and demanded his car, according to Breit.

Gustafson then fled police, eventually crashing his car into a Columbia police cruiser, according to police. The car burst into flames.

Emergency-responders removed Gustafson from the car, police reported.

Assistant District Attorney Christopher Lechner and Breit arranged the plea agreement.