LI man flees upstate courtroom
A Freeport man who was four hours late for an Albany court appearance on credit card fraud charges fled the courtroom after a judge raised his bail and ordered him jailed, but was tackled outside by a sheriff's investigator, the Albany newspaper reported.
A former court officer in the courthouse to face rape charges also tried to stop Patrick Ward, 22, the paper reported.
Ward was initially arrested on credit card fraud charges along with Resean Blount, 26, of Queens Village, and Bashyra Villanueva, 25, of Wyandanch, who was identified as Ward's girlfriend, the Albany Times-Union reported.
Officials told the paper the trio were supposed to appear in Albany County Court on Tuesday at 9 a.m., but Ward and Blount arrived at about 1 p.m.
The judge immediately raised the bail for Ward from $10,000 to $25,000 and ordered him into custody, but he fled.
Authorities said Nicholas Kordas, 51, a suspended parole officer who was at the courthouse for his trial on rape charges, attempted to tackle Ward as he fled. Kordas slowed him down but failed to stop him, Kordas' attorney told the Times-Union.
A sheriff's investigator who was outside managed to subdue and arrest Ward, authorities told the paper.
Blount, whose bail also was about to be raised, also fled but was arrested attempting to board a bus, the Times-Union reported.
A deputy sheriff injured a knee during the arrest, while another scraped his arm, the Times-Union reported.
The men now face additional charges. Both are being held without bail at the Albany County Jail, the Times-Union reported.
Police said Villanueva, who had driven the two men to Albany from the downstate metropolitan area, was arrested after giving officials a fake name. She was charged with false personation and released on $7,500 bail.
