Pennsylvania man fleeing charges caught at U.S.-Canada border with 2 young daughters, officials say

A Pennsylvania man was arrested after attempting to flee to Canada with his two young daughters to avoid charges, authorities said. 

Jacob Burtner of Bedford was taken into custody on Wednesday night in Highgate, Vermont, near the U.S.-Canada border, according to a news release from the Franklin County Sheriff's Department in Vermont. The news release said investigators believe "that Burtner was planning to harm the children once in Canada." However, officials did not provide more details about the man's plans.

The sheriff's department said that the 45-year-old Pennsylvania man was detained by Customs and Border Protection agents at the welcome center off Interstate 89 around 6 p.m. Burtner was wanted on a warrant out of Mineral County, West Virginia, and he was trying to flee the country with his two daughters, ages 8 and 5. 

The girls were "found to be hungry and covered in urine. It appeared that they had not received any proper hygiene in several days," according to the sheriff's office. The two girls were taken to a local hospital for evaluation. Officials did not give an update on the girls' conditions. 

The 45-year-old Pennsylvania man is in the Northwest State Correctional Facility awaiting extradition to West Virginia, where he faces a felony charge of financial exploitation of an elderly, protected person, or incapacitated adult.

The investigation continues, with the sheriff's office saying in the news release that, "Additional charges against Burtner may be forthcoming."