An out-of-state couple is facing felony charges locally after allegedly stealing a vehicle in Indiana and driving to Marysville.
The Union County Grand Jury has indicted Kelly Johanna Crawford, 43, of Baltimore, Maryland and Matthew Robert Banas, 34, of Bluffton, Indiana. Crawford is listed as having multiple aliases, including Heather Fleek, Heather Crawford, Heather Fitzsimons and Heather Fleck. Crawford is charged with one count each of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, receiving stolen property, operating a vehicle under the influence and resisting arrest.
During her arraignment hearing the woman told the judge that her real name is Heather Fitzsimons and that Kelly Crawford is actually her sister.
“Apparently she gave law enforcement the wrong name,” Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips said.
Phillips has filed a motion to amend the indictment but said he is a bit hesitant still.
“We want to make sure we have identified her and that’s her real name before,” he said.
Banas is charged with one count of receiving stolen property.
According to court documents, at about 12:06 a.m., March 31, an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper saw a red Dodge Ram driving east on U.S. 33 in Paris Township toward Marysville. The trooper clocked the vehicle at 103 miles per hour in a 70 mph zone.
The trooper tried to stop the vehicle but, “despite my speed increasing, the Dodge continued to pull away from me.”
The Dodge continued east U.S. 33 before coming to a stop at the Northwest Parkway overpass.
The trooper ordered the driver, the woman who identified herself as Crawford, to get out of the car and walk backwards toward the trooper. He told the woman to put her hands behind her back.
When the trooper tried to put the woman into handcuffs, she “would consistently pull away” according to court documents.
The woman allegedly grabbed the vehicle and spread her arms to keep the trooper from cuffing her or even getting her arm.
“Eventually, multiple officers from the Marysville Police Department arrived on scene and assisted in placing Kelly into handcuffs,” according to court documents.
Banas was a passenger in the truck.
Law enforcement officials said that while they were trying to cuff the woman, they could smell alcohol on her.
The woman was arrested and taken to Memorial Hospital for evaluation after she complained of chest pains.
After the scene was cleared, the trooper was notified that the truck had been reported stolen out of Bluffton, Indiana several hours earlier.
Officials from the Bluffton Police Department listed both Banas and the woman identified as Crawford as suspects in the theft.
“Bluffton Police Department provided us with a copy of their report and documented Matthew’s involvement in the theft,” according to court documents. “The Bluffton Police Department is charging Matthew with theft of an automobile.”
If convicted on the Ohio charges, the woman identified as Crawford could face as many as 45 months in prison and Banas could face as many as 18 months in prison.