A 45-year-old Ravenna Township man wanted on six separate warrants ran into a house and tried to hide from deputies, only for a Portage County Sheriff's Office K-9 to find him inside in about 11 seconds. Herbert Stacy was taken into custody after the standoff, and jail staff later discovered a baggie of suspected methamphetamine concealed on his body during booking, according to the sheriff's office.
The Portage County Sheriff's Office Warrants Division was conducting surveillance on Hill Street in Ravenna Township when Stacy spotted a marked cruiser and ran into a nearby residence, according to a statement from the Portage County Sheriff's Office. Deputies and detectives surrounded the home and called in K-9 Hector and his handler to assist the Portage Aggressive Crime Enforcement, or P.A.C.E., unit.
Stacy declined numerous announcements and opportunities to surrender peacefully, the sheriff's office says. K-9 Hector needed roughly 11 seconds to locate and apprehend him inside the residence, leaving Stacy with bite wounds to his leg. The Ravenna Township Fire Department treated him at the scene before he was taken to UH Portage Medical Center for further care and medical clearance.
A Stack of Warrants Catches Up With Him
Stacy was wanted on a failure-to-appear traffic warrant tied to a Ravenna Police Department case, as well as a felony-three failure-to-appear warrant on a weapons offense connected to a Portage County Sheriff's Office case, according to the sheriff's office statement. He also faced four probation-violation warrants: three stemming from prior drug possession cases and one tied to charges of trespass in a habitation and breaking and entering.
Once he was medically cleared, Stacy was transported to the Portage County Jail. During booking, corrections division members discovered a baggie containing suspected methamphetamine concealed between his buttocks, the sheriff's office reports. That discovery added new felony exposure on top of the warrants that had already caught up with him.
New Charges Carry Serious Weight
Stacy now faces charges of resisting arrest, illegal conveyance, and aggravated possession of drugs, according to the sheriff's office. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2921.36, knowingly bringing drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a detention facility is a third-degree felony, according to Ohio law. Ohio law also classifies aggravated possession of drugs involving certain amounts as a fifth-degree felony, punishable by up to 12 months in prison under state statute.
Sheriff Bruce D. Zuchowski weighed in on the arrest with a pointed message. “When you’re wanted on a stack of felony warrants, running from our Deputies and hiding in a house isn’t much of a plan,” Zuchowski said, adding that Stacy had chances to surrender but chose to stay hidden instead. The sheriff also noted that meth was brought into the jail concealed on Stacy's body, and said Stacy will face consequences that last far longer than Hector's 11-second operation.
Local Business Rewards the K-9's Work
Zuchowski thanked Duma Meats and its Duma Ranch Burger Dispatch service for treating K-9 Hector after the apprehension. Duma Meats is a fifth-generation family business operating on Randolph Road in Mogadore, according to the company's own description of its operations. The sheriff's office also recognized the deputies, detectives, corrections officers, and K-9 team involved in bringing Stacy into custody.
Hector has been busy this year. In a separate incident, a man identified as Daniel Summers was apprehended by a K-9 unit after a foot chase, according to WKYC Channel 3.
The Stacy arrest is the latest in a string of drug and warrant cases the sheriff's office has publicized as part of its broader enforcement strategy. The agency previously launched a public campaign called Most Wanted Monday to enlist community help in tracking down fugitives with outstanding warrants.
