A Port Allegany man is in McKean County Jail after he allegedly fled on foot from officers who wanted to arrest him on a warrant.
Thomas D. Ford, 39, of 25 Lanny Drive, Port Allegany, was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge William Todd on charges of flight to avoid apprehension, a third-degree felony; possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a small amount of marijuana for personal use and possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanors; and criminal trespassing, a summary charge.
According to the criminal complaint, on March 31, a Lewis Run-based state trooper was trying to serve outstanding warrants. He interviewed a friend of Ford’s, asking if she knew where he was.
She called Ford on the phone, and he told her he was on the railroad tracks near Munchies in Port Allegany. When she asked him why he was there, he told her it is because he is wanted, the complaint stated.
At 9:03 a.m. March 31, troopers saw two people walking north on the railroad tracks between West Ransome Street and Park Lane Drive. The troopers told the individuals to stop walking, and they began running east between houses on West Ransome Street and Park Lane Drive, according to court records.
A trooper spotted one of the individuals traveling north on foot behind 30 Park Lane Drive, and the trooper told the person — a male whose name is not used in the complaint — to keep his hands visible and place himself on the ground on his stomach. The male told the trooper that he was unsure where Ford went to, and the last time he saw Ford he had fallen while they were running, according to court records.
At 10:35 a.m., a state police tracking canine named Dexter, along with troopers, discovered Ford lying on his stomach under a porch at 30 Park Lane Drive, hiding, the complaint alleged.
Troopers told Ford to exit from the porch with his hands visible; he exited the porch and was handcuffed without further incident, according to court records. He was allegedly found to be in possession of about 1.5 grams of methamphetamine, .6 grams of ecstasy and drug paraphernalia.
Ford is in jail in lieu of $10,000 bail in the fleeing case.
On the same day as his arrest, Ford was arraigned for a criminal case in which he is accused of providing psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana to two juveniles and cigarettes to one of the juveniles. He also allegedly broke into an empty apartment to smoke marijuana with them.
Bail in that case is set for $50,000. A preliminary hearing for both cases is set for Monday.
