Man accused of leading state police on high-speed chase, skipping court date, caught in Florida

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A man accused of leading Pennsylvania State Police on a high-speed chase through Allegheny County has been arrested in Florida.

>> Man accused of leading state police on high-speed chase through Allegheny County

Hermas Craddock, who allegedly nearly rammed two police cars and drove 80 mph in a 25 mph speed limit zone, was arrested in Polk County, Florida on Thursday night.

Craddock was originally arrested in early April and was let out on non-monetary bond by Magistrate Judge Xander Orenstein, despite his criminal history and the details of the police chase.

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“If you want to see a total failure of a judge, here is a picture,” Sheriff Grady Judd told reporters in a news conference.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd held up a photo of District Judge Xander Orenstein next to a photo of Craddock.

“You don’t have a qualified judge here, you have a nut with a black coat on. You need to think about that. People are depending on judges to be fair and impartial, not letting violent criminals back into the community,” Sheriff Judd said.

“Orenstein just felt like it was the right move to put him back into the community, which causes hardships for law enforcement when decisions of recklessness are made,” Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus said.

Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department investigators tracked Craddock first to North Carolina, and then to a townhouse community in Florida.

Polk County deputies did surveillance to confirm he was there.

Craddock answered when deputies knocked on the door of the home and he was taken into custody without incident.

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