Friday, April 20th, 2018
Officials capture man after two-county chase
By Ed Gebert
ST. MARYS - A 28-minute police chase involving four law enforcement agencies across two counties on Thursday ended peacefully with the arrest of a Phillipsburg man.
After the chase ended, police officers discovered a juvenile related to suspect Christopher W. Thornton, 39, was in the vehicle with him.
According to a St. Marys Police Department news release, an officer was unlocking a vehicle at Phil's One Stop Marathon at 10:08 p.m., when a man ran up to him and told him his Jeep had just been stolen also at the station at the corner of Main and South streets. He reportedly said the Jeep was traveling eastbound on South Street. The officer reportedly gave chase and attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver failed to comply, beginning the pursuit.
The chase reached speeds of 60-65 mph, with a maximum speed of 80 mph reported, St. Marys Police Chief Jake Sutton said this morning. The Jeep reportedly traveled many back roads in southern Auglaize County before crossing into Mercer County. Officers from the Auglaize County Sheriff's Office, New Bremen Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Mercer County Sheriff's Office joined the pursuit.
New Bremen police deployed stop sticks and brought the vehicle to a halt, ending the pursuit in the 1100 block of Goettemoeller Road, according to the release.
Thornton was arrested on charges of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, child endangering, theft of a motor vehicle and resisting arrest and was taken to the Auglaize County jail, according to the release.
He was being held without bail as of press time today, according to jail authorities.
