Prisoner denied bail after escape

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April 9, 2008

By Ryan Smith The Meadville Tribune Wed Apr 09, 2008, 09:27 AM EDT

04/09/08 — Slim to none.

Those would have been the odds of catching a prisoner who escaped from a moving Crawford County Sheriff’s Department van Monday afternoon while en route to the county jail if it hadn’t been for one dog who’s undeniably committed to catching his man, according to Meadville Police Department Patrolman Mike Stefanucci.

It took a team of area police about one hour Monday to recapture Christopher Allen Stevenson, 37, after he escaped by allegedly prying open a rear side window on a sheriff’s van along Route 198 around 12:45 p.m. in Woodcock Township near the Woodcock Dam. The van was moving at about 55 miles an hour when Stevenson threw himself out the window.

Following an intensive search that involved several passes through rough, swampy terrain, city police Patrolman Rich Skalko’s K-9 partner, Officer Izon, picked up Stevenson’s scent, according to Stefanucci, who joined Skalko, Izon and Deputy Ira Custard of Crawford County Sheriff’s Department in the chase. Swimming through waist-deep water with his nose jutting into the air, Izon located Stevenson, covered in debris and hiding in water near the dam’s causeway off Schultz Road — about a mile from where he’d escaped.

Without the dog leading the search, “we never would have looked that far,” Stefanucci said Tuesday. “I wouldn’t have thought (Stevenson) would make it that far after jumping out of a moving car. ... I can’t imagine hitting the pavement at 55 miles per hour and then running another mile into the woods.”

Stevenson, who Stefanucci said had used a paper clip to slip his restraints, reportedly had missing skin on his hands, arms and legs — a serious case of road-rash — to show for his near-escape.

And on Tuesday before Saegertown Area Magisterial District Judge Lincoln S. Zilhaver, he was put behind bars with no chance of bail.

He initially was arrested in Titusville early Saturday on assault and other charges in an alleged fight over coffee cream at a restaurant there, according to Titusville authorities. He’d also escaped twice briefly from Titusville Police Department officers while being transported to the county jail early Saturday.

Stevenson reportedly has other pending warrants in Georgia for alleged credit card theft and also in Florida for alleged bond violations, according to police affidavits filed at Titusville Area Magisterial District Judge Amy Nicols’ office.

Following his arraignment Tuesday before Zilhaver on Pennsylvania State Police charges of one felony count of escape and two counts of criminal mischief for the Monday incident, the judge ordered Stevenson recommitted to the jail, stating in related court papers that based on Stevenson’s “extensive criminal background ... the court could not set any bail conditions to ensure the defendant’s appearance at future hearings.”

Stevenson’s preliminary hearing on the charges before Zilhaver is scheduled for April 18.

Ryan Smith can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at rsmith@meadvilletribune.com. Tribune reporter Mary Spicer contributed source material for this report.

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