Lansford police continue to look for a Lansford man who evaded officers Sunday night.

Police are looking for 42-year-old Matthew D. Ferguson, who was observed inside a garage attached to 45 Sharpe St. just before 11 p.m.

Officer Callen Rich stopped his patrol vehicle, and ordered Ferguson to come out of the garage due to a warrant out of Schuylkill County for failing to appear on felony theft charges.

Ferguson closed the garage door and evaded police by exiting the garage through a hole in the wall into the residence, police said.

Rich forced open the garage door, but did not see Ferguson or any exits, and stepped back from door and requested additional police units, police said.

Officers from Summit Hill and Nesquehoning arrived to assist, while Rich watched the known exits to the garage and house.

Rich heard a dog on a porch above the garage and a female’s voice, and instructed the woman to have Ferguson exit the residence, police said.

The woman said that she would try, and then Rich instructed her to come speak to him, and she did not exit the residence, police said.

Additional officers arrived and they cleared the garage, not finding Ferguson, but found the hole in the wall covered by a circular wooden table, police said.

Rich spoke to Ferguson’s wife who said that her husband had been in Lansford for about three weeks, and the vehicle he had been driving was towed in Philadelphia.

Officers also spoke to Ferguson’s son, Draeton, who was uncooperative, and refused to get the owner of 45 Sharpe St., Judith A. Ferguson, Matthew’s mother, police said.

Rich along with Lansford police Chief Kyle Woodward secured a search warrant for the home, while officers monitored all entrances and exits to the home, officers said.

Officers provided the homeowner with the search warrant at 1:40 a.m. and entered the home. Matthew Ferguson was not found in or around the home, but officers did find drug paraphernalia in a third-floor bedroom, polices said.

Officers believe any drugs were disposed of before police making entry. Among the items found were a homemade growing device, suspected marijuana seeds, and multiple “bongs” and “bowls” with burned leafy matter inside.

Officers completed the search at 2:20 a.m., and Ferguson family members were instructed that they would be charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive from justice if Matthew Ferguson was caught at the home, police said.

Lansford police plan to file evading arrest and flight to avoid apprehension charges against Matthew Ferguson, Woodward said.

Officers from Coaldale, Nesquehoning, Summit Hill, Tamaqua and Carbon County Sheriff’s Department assisted in this incident.