Escaped State Prisoner Tracked to North Buffalo Township
Randall Eckman - formerly of North Buffalo Township but detained in a state corrections institution the past four years - was taken into custody by local police Friday afternoon after his escape near Freeport Road.
by Jonathan Weaver
An escaped parole violator was found on-the-run in North Buffalo Township Friday afternoon by police.
Several police agencies – including North Buffalo Township, Ford City Borough and Kittanning Borough officers – helped for more than an hour to successfully find former Kittanning man Randall Eckman, Jr.
Eckman has a long history of criminal activity, but, according to online court records, has been incarcerated since Summer 2012 after being found guilty by a jury of driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance and of being a habitual offender in February 2011. Both were misdemeanor charges, but led Judge James Panchik to sentence Eckman to a two to five year jail sentence with the state Department of Corrections.
In February 2014, Eckman also plead guilty of felony criminal trespass by during June 2011 and a minimum of two years in jail was added to the overall sentence.
North Buffalo Township Police Chief Jason Hufhand said Friday’s manhunt began after a traffic stop about 3:30PM along Freeport Road near Glade Run Creek where he was going to stop a maroon 2007 Ford Focus driven by Mary Grimm, of Kittanning, for not having a State inspection sticker.
However, the vehicle accelerated to Saddle Club Road – a dead-end – and Eckman ran from the passenger seat back onto Freeport Road before it could be stopped.
Already wanted for escape from a state corrections institute, the foot pursuit into the woods also included Pennsylvania State Police troopers, Armstrong County detectives and Sheriff deputies.
For more than 45 minutes, police searched on foot before Armstrong County Detective Mark Heider and K-9 ‘Mibo’ tracked Eckman.
“The dog did excellent tracking to get us where we were at,” Chief Hufhand said.
And then, 9-1-1 dispatchers received a phone call of a resident who fought with Eckman near a Sotos Road address near a former police station.
According to Chief Hufhand, Crystal Frye tried to give Eckman a ride, but her boyfriend Greg Baker– the person Eckman fought – questioned why he was in Frye’s vehicle and the two engaged in a physical altercation.
Eckman was taken into custody about 4:45PM. He was first taken to the Pennsylvania State Police barracks before the Armstrong County Jail in Rayburn Township.
Chief Hufhand thanked all the police agencies that helped with the search and capture.
“(Eckman) would have never been taken off the street had it not been for the cooperation of the (State and local police agencies),” Chief Hufhand said.
Eckman – who is now incarcerated in the Armstrong County Jail on the original detainer – will also be charged with escape, flight to avoid apprehension and resisting arrest, among other charges.
Grimm will be charged with obstructing administration of law, hindering apprehension and criminal conspiracy of escape.
Local News | jweaver April 4, 2016
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By Nivasi, April 4, 2016 @ 7:48 PM
wow crappy notifications.. why didn’t this news paper send out NOTIFIES? this is in my township and I really don’t appreciate the lack of communications
By Snarf, April 4, 2016 @ 9:50 PM
They need to lock him up and throw away the key. I know someone who was victimized by this piece of garbage.
By Watchdawgz, April 7, 2016 @ 7:03 PM
I’m just glad the police caught him. Good job to all the police who worked to catch this career criminal.