In a recent turn of events, Kenneth Crider pleaded guilty to charges including theft and leading a high-speed chase that culminated in a crash with a deputy's vehicle, WPXI reported. The case that has gripped the community involves the disappearance of an Airedale Terrier named Lucky, who was inside an 87-year-old veteran's car when it was stolen in September of 2024. Crider's sentencing, which took place today, ranges from 14 months to ten years in prison.
With Lucky still missing, the story has overshadowed Crider's legal woes. The community's efforts to find the dog span from local endeavors to a multi-state search that has so far proved futile, with the 87-year-old owner, Willard Martz, left yearning for the canine's company. During the theft, Martz described a swift robbery, stating, "I started in the Tractor Supply. The next thing I know, I felt an arm come across my shoulder, a hand go in my pocket, and he says something about keys. And next thing you know, his hand come out, he took off running, all I saw was his back end," in an interview with Pittsburgh's Action News 4.
Despite Crider's admission that he abandoned Lucky at a service station, exhaustive searches have turned up empty. A heartwrenching development for Martz, who already endured the loss of his son, to whom the dog originally belonged. "By losing Lucky was like losing for him another son," a family member, Folino, touched upon the sentiment during a conversation with Pittsburgh's Action News 4. The pain resonates throughout the "Bring Lucky Home to PA" Facebook group, which has garnered over 14,000 members, mirroring Martz's hope "if he's alive, that somebody is taking care of him. Because I know he loves people."
