Man accused of stealing Pittsburgh-area veteran’s beloved dog Lucky pleads guilty
By Madeline Bartos, Barry Pintar
The man accused of stealing a car with Lucky, a Westmoreland County veteran’s beloved dog, inside has pleaded guilty.
Instead of discussing next steps during a scheduled pre-trial hearing on Monday, Kenneth Crider pleaded guilty to several charges, including robbery, theft, receiving stolen property and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and was sentenced to 14 months to 10 years.
Lucky’s owner Willard Martz was in the courtroom on Monday.
“I was happy that he’s going to pay a price for what he did, but by the same token, he never looked in my direction. Just seemed so detached,” Martz said.
Crider was charged with stealing Lucky, a 10-year-old Airedale-terrier mix, last September.
Police said Crider took the keys from Martz’s pants pocket while he was walking into the Tractor Supply in East Huntingdon. Investigators said Crider hopped into the car and drove off, with Lucky still inside.
Crider was caught about a week later after a police chase in North Carolina, but Lucky wasn’t with him. He told detectives he let Lucky go “at an unknown rest stop between Myrtle Beach and Nash County,” around 500 miles from Lucky’s home in Westmoreland County.
Martz’s loss resulted in an outpouring of support from the community. In the courtroom on Monday, Martz was joined by a group of women wearing “Where’s Lucky” t-shirts. They were part of a Facebook group called Bring Lucky Home to PA, which had 14,000 members as people tried to find Martz’s dog. An advertising agency even donated seven billboards to help find Lucky.
While there were reports of stray dogs who looked like Lucky, he’s still missing.
DUI driver slumped over steering wheel with dog in car in Spanaway, WA
By AJ Janavel
Published March 11, 2025 5:47pm PDT
WA deputies target people driving on drugs
Investigators in Pierce County say recently, driving under the influence is taking on a different meaning.
The Brief
-
- Pierce County Sheriff’s Office reports an increase in drug-related DUIs, leading to erratic and potentially fatal incidents, with drivers often found with drug paraphernalia in their vehicles.
- Despite visible evidence, justice can be delayed due to lengthy toxicology reports, highlighting the need for increased awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs.
SPANAWAY, Wash. – Pierce County Sheriff’s Officials said drug-involved DUIs are becoming more prominent, leading to erratic and possibly fatal endings.
On Sunday at around 8:30 a.m., Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a man slumped over the steering wheel of his car while stopped in the middle of the road.
It happened near the intersection of Pacific Avenue South and Military Road South, near Spanaway Park.
Investigators tell FOX 13 Seattle a citizen flagged down a deputy.
What they’re saying:
“From plain view, they were able to see the pipe in his hand and the drug paraphernalia sitting right on his lap,” said Deputy Carly Cappetto with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
Cappetto tells FOX 13 Seattle that, luckily, the driver passed out with his foot on the brake. That is not always the case.
“With drugs, we see a lot more erratic type of behaviors, or you have this high and then you pass out, which can be very dangerous if you’re operating a vehicle,” she said.
About three weeks ago, PCSO deputies responded to a call where a suspected DUI driver crashed into someone’s home. Deputies said they found tinfoil and other drug paraphernalia on the suspect’s lap during that incident.
Cappetto tells FOX 13 Seattle drinking slows you down and impacts your perception. She said the effects of using drugs and driving are very different.
“We see faster speeds with drug DUIs, at a high velocity, high speed, and typically those are fatal,” she said.
However, despite evidence in plain sight during a lot of these arrests, investigators said justice can still take months or longer.
“The issue is the toxicology reports can take a long time to come back,” said Cappetto. “To charge these people with a DUI they could be out free for a long period of time before wer actually see them serve time for what they have done,” Cappetto added.
Big picture view:
For decades, there has been a massive public push to raise awareness on the dangers of drinking and driving.
With the increasing prevalence of drug use, Cappetto said more focus needs to be placed on the dangers of driving while high.
The driver in Sunday’s incident was arrested. His car was impounded, and his dog was taken by animal control.
The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter AJ Janavel, who interviewed Pierce County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Dep. Carly Cappetto.
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Pursuit suspect exits SUV with dog in arms, ending standoff in Long Beach
by: Tony Kurzweil
Posted: Oct 10, 2024 / 06:09 AM PDT
Updated: Oct 10, 2024 / 06:09 AM PDT
This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.
A man who clung to his dog during an hourslong standoff with law enforcement was eventually taken into custody Wednesday night.
The events began around 9:30 p.m. when the man was confronted by deputies at a business in the 4200 block of Woodruff Avenue in Lakewood, freelance media firm KNN reported.
There was no immediate word on what prompted deputies to contact the man but the incident escalated into a pursuit that eventually ended on Carson Street near Heartwell Park in Long Beach.
A SWAT team BearCat and a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department patrol vehicle were used to block the suspect’s vehicle.
- A man clings to his dog during a standoff with law enforcement in Lakewood on Oct. 9, 2024. (KNN)
- A man clings to his dog during a standoff with law enforcement in Lakewood on Oct. 9, 2024. (KNN)
Video showed the man inside the SUV holding the dog tightly with both arms during the long standoff.
Authorities eventually used less-than-lethal measures to get the man to leave the SUV but he was still holding his dog.
Deputies could be heard saying “Let go of the dog” as the man exited the smoke-filled vehicle and then tried to flee.
He was quickly captured and taken into custody. Video showed the man was taken from the scene in an ambulance but the extent of any injuries were unknown.
The dog’s whereabouts were also unknown after it ran off during the suspect’s detainment.
