Convicted child molester on run captured in Toledo [Detroit Free Press]

March 30--After seven months on the run, a convicted child molester who cut off his tether on the eve of his sentencing and bolted was captured Wednesday night in the parking lot of a sandwich shop in Toledo.

Bail bondsman Matt Maddock, owner of A-1 Bail Bonds of Michigan, said tipsters led his agency to Sherrod Bradford, 19, of Detroit, who skipped town in August on the night before he was to be sentenced for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl. He was facing 10-20 years in prison.

Bradford could be in Wayne County Circuit Court as early as today before Judge Carole Youngblood to be arraigned on a failure to appear charge.

Maddock, who said he spent many hours tracking Bradford, is angered that Bradford's bond was continued after his conviction. Maddock said he believes Bradford should have been remanded to jail.

Youngblood, Bradford's sentencing judge, was unavailable for comment Thursday, according to a member of her staff.

"If you were to ask 100 people why they're leaving Detroit ... it's not the economy, it's not because they lost their job, it's because of crime," Maddock said. "And we have judges in Detroit that are soft on crime."

Judges who release convicted criminals and trust them to show for sentencing has long been a source of frustration for bail bondsmen in metro Detroit. Sometimes the convicted felons flee, forcing bond agents to go on what they consider unnecessary manhunts to track fugitives and bring them back to face court hearings.

Fugitive Demetrous Magwood is still on the run. A Wayne County jury convicted Magwood on May 3 of attempted murder and assault for shooting someone walking down the street. Four days later, Magwood -- who was released on bond after the conviction -- cut his tether and fled.

Wayne County Circuit Judge Edward Ewell had continued Magwood's $200,000 bond on the condition that he wear the GPS tether, which he cut off four days later and fled. Defense attorney Sterling Coleman, who represented Magwood, said he was stunned his client fled.

The Goldfarb Bonding Agency has offered a $5,000 reward for Magwood's return.

Maddock offered reward money to find Bradford. Maddock said tipsters told them Bradford was known to be frequenting the Toledo area and may have been driving around with someone in a white Kia. On Wednesday, agents who were driving around saw a white Kia pull into the parking lot of a submarine sandwich shop, and the driver got out, Maddock said.

Bradford was in the passenger seat.

But his capture didn't come easy. After months of searching, Maddock said it likely cost him thousands of dollars in gas and time to track Bradford down.

"They should not be releasing people who are convicted of serious crimes like this," Maddock said.

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