GENEVA, NY — A Louisiana man wanted on attempted murder charges was arrested at a gas station near the Geneva Thruway exit on March 17, 2026.
New York State Police received a License Plate Reader alert at approximately 5:59 p.m. on a vehicle traveling on the New York State Thruway associated with a wanted individual out of Louisiana.
A BOLO was broadcast to Thruway units and Troop E Zone 1 patrols.
At approximately 6:12 p.m., members assigned to SP Canandaigua located the vehicle at a 7-Eleven gas station near the Geneva Thruway exit.
Troopers approached the operator, identified as Ethan T. Middleton, 23, of Louisiana, and took him into custody without incident.
In plain view inside the vehicle, troopers observed and secured two loaded firearms.
The firearms included a 12-gauge Mossberg sawed-off shotgun and a Ruger PC Charger 9mm AR-style pistol with a 32-round magazine.
Middleton is wanted by the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana for attempted murder in the second degree, illegal use of a weapon or dangerous instrument and aggravated assault with a firearm.
Middleton was charged in New York with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon 2nd degree, criminal possession of a weapon 3rd degree and driving while intoxicated.
The vehicle was secured and transported to SP Canandaigua, where a search warrant will be sought.
Middleton was transported to the Ontario County Jail, where he is being held on New York State charges and as a fugitive from justice pending extradition to Louisiana.
