A Michigan man wanted for a theft offense in Van Wert was appended early Tuesday morning, April 4, along U.S. Route 33 in Union County after he reportedly led local law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit throughout Logan County and into Union County.
Johnathon D. Chilcoat, 32, of Quincy, Mich., was charged with a felony count of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and was lodged in the Logan County Jail, deputies of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office report.
About 1:10 a.m., deputies received a report regarding the suspect from the theft offense in Van Wert, who reportedly operating a maroon jeep southbound in Hardin County along State Route 117 in the Roundhead area.
Deputies soon located the suspect’s vehicle along S.R. 117 near State Route 273 after it entered Logan County. The jeep was observed at speeds close to 100 mph, and deputies activated the patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and sirens in attempt to get the vehicle to stop.
However, the suspect continued along S.R. 117 and passed a vehicle in an unsafe manner near County Road 96, and continued at a high rate of speed as it entered Huntsville.
The jeep then turned southbound onto County Road 130 and then made an eastbound turn onto County Road 57 and entered eastbound U.S. 33.
At the intersection of C.R. 57 and U.S. 33, the suspect vehicle reportedly failed to stop at the stop sign.
Deputies said the suspect continued eastbound on U.S. 33 at varying speeds between 90 and 105 mph and did not maintain a single lane of travel, oftentimes splitting between the two eastbound lanes.
Washington Township Police Department officers joined in the pursuit and the vehicle continued along U.S. 33 into Union County, where troopers of the Ohio State Highway Patrol also joined the pursuit.
At milepost six inside Union County, a Union County Sheriff’s Office deputy was able to deploy stop sticks in an effort to stop the vehicle. The strike was successful, and the suspect finally came to a stop about two miles east of that location. Chilcoat was placed under arrest without further incident.
Van Wert Police Department officers also will forward additional information, including camera footage, relating to the theft, so that Logan County deputies also can file charges for receiving stolen property.