Suspected drunk driver leads Cranberry police on chase
CRANBERRY TWP — A suspected drunken driver is accused of leading police on a short chase that didn't end well for the New York man.
Cranberry Township police said they had to force Marcos I. Baldeo, 24, of Bay Shore from his car and onto the ground following his arrest early Friday morning.
District Judge Dave Kovach later arraigned Baldeo on a felony charge of fleeing or attempting to elude police, misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence, and three traffic violations. He is free on $10,000 unsecured bail.
Officers initially found the defendant about 2:20 a.m. passed out and slumped over in the driver's seat of a Chevrolet Sonic that was stopped at Freedom Road and Route 19, according to court documents.
The door was locked and police could not rouse him, even after knocking loudly on the window. In time, he awakened but shook his head “no” when officers told him to open the door.
When Baldeo began to drive, Patrolman John Dolan ran to his cruiser and activated his siren, documents said, while pursuing the suspect's car.
The defendant turned northbound onto Route 19 and ran a red light. For a time, police said, he was traveling north in the southbound lane.
He eventually traveled off the road and stopped. But when Dolan got to the Baldeo's car, the suspect would not come out.
“I then put Baldeo into an arm bar and took him to the ground,” the officer said in his affidavit.
Toxicology results showed his blood-alcohol level was 0.147 percent.
A full report will appear in the Butler Eagle.
