He may not be the brightest bulb in the lamp of Pennsylvania's criminal justice system.
A Philadelphia man just released from jail is now charged with carjacking a grandmother, beating and dragging her from her vehicle and taking off with her 13-month-old grandson strapped in the backseat, authorities said.
All of this allegedly occurred in the Westmoreland County Prison parking lot, about 40 feet from the door where Thomas Lee Williams exited on Tuesday after serving time for a drug offense.
Williams allegedly walked up to a SUV with a 65-year-old woman behind the wheel, beat her in the face and shoulders and dragged her from the vehicle, according to a statement from the Westmoreland County Sheriff's Office. He led officers on a high-speed chase before crashing the car and running into nearby woods, authorities said.
Law enforcement officers and K-9 dogs eventually flushed the suspect from the treeline, where he was arrested, the sheriff's office said.
The child, and his grandmother, were taken to a hospital and examined. Both are fine, authorities said.
Williams is back in the Westmoreland jail, now charged with a list of offenses including aggravated assault, kidnapping and carjacking. He is being held on $250,000 cash-only bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 21.
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