SMETHPORT – An inmate from the McKean County Prison who walked
away from the McKean County Historical Society in Smethport Oct. 7
while out on work release was arrested at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Port
Allegany.

According to Smethport Borough Police, Gary Lee Herbstritt, 33,
was arrested and taken into custody by the Pennsylvania State
Police at a residence on East Cutler Road, Port Allegany.
Herbstritt was then turned over to borough police.

Magisterial District Judge Boser arraigned Herbstritt for the
escape charge and arrest warrant. Bail for the escape charge was
set at $50,000 cash. Herbstritt was remanded back to McKean County
Prison.

Herbstritt, whose address in McKean County Court records was
listed as 73 W. Corydon St. in Bradford, was the third person
charged with escaping from the prison in the past four months. He
had been incarcerated for 29 days on a parole violation.

Earlier, Smethport Borough Police Chief Ryan Yingling said
Herbstritt had been working at the Historical Society, adding he
was working in the yard at the facility and when they went to speak
with him, he was gone.

Herbstritt was the second inmate to have walked away from work
release this year.

Mark Craig Mullins, 24, was released from jail July 23 as part
of the work release program. He failed to report back to the prison
that night. He was later captured in Florida.

On July 3, David Paul Davis, 25, who was being held in prison on
a warrant from North Carolina, allegedly conspired with two other
inmates to escape.

Davis climbed the wall of the secured outside recreation area,
made his way through the chainlink fence at the top of the wall and
jumped about 20 feet to the ground. He was seriously injured in the
attempt and was hospitalized.

Charges were eventually dropped against Davis, who was sent to
North Carolina to face charges there for robbery with a dangerous
weapon.