MARYSVILLE — The theft of $12.48 worth of lunch meat, according to Marysville police, reportedly precipitated the March 30 multi-county pursuit that began in the parking lot of the Marysville Wal-Mart and ended in Bellefontaine.
Todd Schaffner, 56, of Marysville, allegedly stole the food items from the store before the other crimes occurred.
Schaffner is currently lodged in the Tri-County Jail in Mechanicsburg on $20,000 bond for the misdemeanor theft and for failing to comply with an officer, a third-degree felony.
The case has been referred to a Union County grand jury.
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Law enforcement pursuit of a suspect’s vehicle through multiple counties Monday ended with officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department deploying stop sticks and disabling the vehicle in the 700 block of east Columbus Avenue.
Todd Schaffner, 56, of Marysville, was lodged in the Tri-County Jail Monday night.
Deputies from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office joined the pursuit of the suspect around 6:15 p.m., as troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol chased after Schaffner from Union County.
The suspect’s red Honda Accord reached speeds in excess of 130 mph across U.S. Route 33 before exiting north onto State Route 117 and reaching the Hardin County line around 6:30 p.m.
The suspect evaded stop sticks deployed by troopers in the area of westbound State Route 292, and efforts to puncture the suspect’s tires by sheriff’s deputies in the area of U.S. Route 33 and County Road 57 was only partially successful, as the vehicle was still able to continue at a high rate of speed.
Logan County sheriff’s deputies disregarded the pursuit after the suspect crossed the county line. An OHP trooper that had been chasing the suspect from Union County also ran out of gas along northbound S.R. 117 just south of the State Route 273 interchange.
A highway patrol helicopter had begun an aerial search for the vehicle, and local law enforcement had begun to return to service when sheriff’s deputies again spotted the vehicle — now traveling southbound on S.R. 117.
Troopers and sheriff’s deputies resumed the pursuit as the suspect crossed the interchange at S.R. 117 and U.S. 33 and proceeded southbound on County Road 130 toward Bellefontaine.
Bellefontaine police picked up the chase as the suspect crossed into the city limits, setting up stop sticks in the area of Troy Road and Garfield Avenue. The suspect’s tires were punctured, but he continued eastbound through the city reaching speeds upwards of 70 mph.
A front tire came off the suspect’s vehicle and the car was disabled in the 700 block of east Columbus Avenue, and law enforcement arrested the suspect at that time.
Authorities said the ordeal began in a Wal-Mart in Marysville earlier Monday afternoon.
The suspect reportedly shoplifted from the store, fled the scene and reportedly struck another vehicle while getting away. Marysville police and OHP chased the suspect eastbound around 3 p.m. toward Post Road in the Dublin area.
Schaffner has prior convictions including drunk driving, criminal trespassing and criminal damaging.