Father upset over son's mistaken jail release

A father who found himself mistakenly arrested last summer after sheriff's bailiffs mistook him for his son is unhappy with law enforcement again.

Wellington E. Clarke Jr., 48, of Sebring, said a mix-up by jail officials led to the accidental release of his son, Kendrick Matthew Clarke, 21, last Tuesday, May 26, before he was remanded back into custody the next day.

The senior Clarke said it was another inmate named Michael Clarke who was supposed to have been released.

Records from the Highlands County Clerk of Courts indicate that a Trenton Michael Clarke, also 21, was released on his own recognizance last Tuesday following his arrest for grand theft of a motor vehicle and two misdemeanor charges.

Kendrick Clarke was arrested Sept. 28, 2007 and charged with sexual assault of a victim under 12 years of age. Records state he is due back in court for a pretrial conference on Aug. 19.

Kendrick's father said his son even asked the jailers if he was sure he was supposed to be released prior to the next court appearance.

"They had him believing he was free," Clarke Jr. said.

Maj. David Paeplow, detention bureau commander, confirmed that Kendrick Clarke had been "released in error" last Tuesday.

"We have procedures in place to prevent such things, but apparently there was a breakdown," Paeplow said.

Cmdr. Steve Carr, with the Sebring Police Department, said the sheriff's office sent out a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) Alert for Kendrick Clarke's vehicle.

SPD Officer Thomas Harolson recognized Clarke's vehicle and radioed Officer Sean Bueford for backup, according to Carr.

Paeplow said Clarke was remanded back into custody without incident at the DeSoto Square shopping center, next to Sweetbay Supermarket.

Paeplow added that the procedures are presently being looked into through an internal investigation. No conclusions have been made at this point, he said.

Wellington Clarke Jr. said he has already let his feelings about the situation be known by talking with supervisors at the sheriff's office.

The incident comes almost a year after the senior Clarke found himself handcuffed at the Highlands County Courthouse while he was there taking care of personal business on June 12, 2008.

"I went to court to collect back child support my ex owed," Clarke Jr. said at the time. "The judge said, 'Before you go, you've got unsettled business with the sheriff's office.'"

Two bailiffs and a detention deputy escorted him to a holding cell, while he kept saying they had the wrong man.

As it turns out, the warrant was for his son, Wellington Emanuel Clarke III, 24, who was wanted for failure to pay a fine for petty retail theft, according to a July 7, 2008 Highlands Today report.

Clarke Jr. was eventually let go after his ID was checked.

Now, with this latest error involving his family, Clarke Jr. said something needs to be done.

"It's their mistake," he said. "Why do I have to keep suffering for it?"