After his preliminary hearing was continued several times and he tried to escape from police custody, a Sharon man has agreed to plead guilty to charges in Mercer County Common Pleas Court.

Maurice L. Atwood, 34, of 1110 Hamilton Ave., on Thursday waived to court charges of reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of children, fleeing police, flight to avoid apprehension and escape.

At a hearing before District Justice James E. McMahon, Sharon, Atwood's public defender Daniel Davis said Atwood would plead guilty to the charges if an aggravated assault charge is dropped.

Atwood's legal trouble in Sharon began Sept. 1 when police on Weed and Seed patrol spotted him in the 800 block of Spearman Avenue.

He was wanted by state police for escaping from a halfway house on Aug. 13, police said.

Police said when they approached Atwood's car, he put it into reverse and almost backed over the policemen.

Atwood led the policemen on a short chase before he bailed out of the car and started running; police caught him a short time later.

The child endangerment charge was added because Atwood had two children in the car, ages 7 and 3, who were not his, police said.

Atwood's initial preliminary hearing was scheduled for Sept. 5 but was continued. While at the Sharon police station after the continuance, Atwood escaped from custody while on a smoking break, according to the probable cause affidavit. Police said he ran when the policeman watching him started walking up the steps to the building.

Police found Atwood a few hours later, hiding in bushes on the West Hill.

On Sept. 12, Atwood was granted another continuance after he told McMahon he wanted to speak to Sharon Police Chief Thomas Burke. He said he knew Burke and thought that if he talked to him "some things will be resolved."

Against Davis' advice, Atwood explained his earlier comment after his hearing on Thursday. "The only relationship I had with Chief Burke is that I'm a Farrell-Sharon native."

Atwood said he's been gone from the area for six or seven years and that Burke "is the only familiar face" since the department has changed a lot. "That's the only reason why I wanted to talk to him," Atwood said. After his hearing, Atwood was returned to Mercer County Jail.