Man accused of stealing veteran’s dog, car arrested after chase in North Carolina; dog still missing

NASH COUNTY, NC — The man accused of stealing a local veteran’s car while his dog was still inside has been arrested after a police chase in North Carolina Saturday night.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Local veteran’s car stolen with his dog inside, family offering cash reward for beloved pet’s return

Kenneth Crider has been found and apprehended by Nash County sheriff’s deputies nearly a week after Pennsylvania State Police said he took off in 87-year-old Willard Martz’s car with Lucky still inside.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Arrest warrant issued for man accused of stealing car with veteran’s dog inside

Police said Lucky remains missing.

The unknown is what tears Martz apart.

“It’s like a family member,” Martz said. “I mean, a really close family member and I worry about him.”

Lucky, a 10-year-old Airedale-terrier mix, has been missing for a week. He’s been a loyal sidekick to the retired marine after he lost his son to a rare form of muscular dystrophy in 2020 and while he fights cancer.

“It’s like I lost my arm and can’t find it,” said Martz. “Something’s missing in my life.”

Martz’s daughter Linda Folino said the pair do everything together.

“They are the best of buds,” she said. “They go everywhere together. They go to the store. They go around in the golf cart up here. They are together 24/7.”

The pair were last together on Monday, Sept. 23. They were in the parking lot of the Tractor Supply store in Mount Pleasant when state police said fugitive Kenneth Crider stole Martz’s car keys from his pocket and sped off in his car with Lucky still inside.

“Wondering what’s happened to him, how his health is, if someone’s taking care of him, if he’s already dead someplace,” Martz said.

A sliver of hope came Saturday night. Police say they received reports of a suspicious car and Crider was behind the wheel.

When police tried to pull him over, he led them on a high-speed chase through two counties and eventually crashed. Police say Crider reached speeds of up to 120 miles per hour and hit a deputy’s car during the chase.

Nash County Sheriff’s Office Captain Robert Bowen said deputies executed a PIT maneuver. He was taken to a hospital with minor injuries but was released a short time later.

Nash County deputies arrested Crider. They discovered the stolen car was Martz’s 2016 Ford Focus with PA license plate KVR-6440.

Crider faces charges out of North Carolina and will eventually be extradited back to Pennsylvania.

Deputies said Crider told detectives he let Lucky go at a rest stop off I-95 in North Carolina before the high-speed chase. The dog was wearing a red leash.

“That’s only two-thirds of the puzzle,” Folino said. “We need the other third. We need the part we care the most about, which is Lucky. We want Lucky back.”

As detectives continue to search for Lucky, Martz is holding out hope he’ll be back home soon.

“He’s important,” Martz said. “If you knew him, you’d love him. He’s the perfect dog.”

The Nash County Sheriff’s Office is now asking people in their area to be on the lookout for Lucky. He is microchipped, wearing a black collar with a zip-tied flea collar.

Anyone with details on Lucky’s location is asked to call 412-298-8611.

A reward to find Lucky is now up to $2,500. JNS Towing is offering to pick up Lucky and bring him home.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group