Marysville Police are searching for two men involved in an alleged attempted car break-in and a possible theft. The men fled the area in this 2017 Hyundai Sonata, reported stolen out of Reynoldsburg. This picture, taken from security camera footage, shows the car fleeing on Colemans Crossing between E. Fifth Street and Delaware Avenue. The car eventually got onto U.S. 33 and crashed in Columbus. Anyone with information is asked to call (937) 645-7300.
(Photo submitted)
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A call from a resident stopped a possible car theft Tuesday morning.
Marysville Police Chief Tony Brooks said that shortly after midnight Tuesday, the police department received a 911 call from a resident at Kenmore Place apartment complex on Coleman’s Crossing Boulevard. The resident saw three men attempting to break into a car.
“We believe they were attempting to steal a Ford Fusion last night,” Brooks said.
When police arrived, “they all took off on foot.”
Police were able to catch one of the men, Damon Devon Knox, 18, of Columbus.
As other officers were responding to the scene, they spotted a 2017 Hyundai Sonata driving on Coleman’s Crossing “at a high rate of speed,” Brooks said.
Police chased the vehicle onto U.S. 33 east bound. Eventually the Union County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol took over the chase.
“We terminated our part of the chase just east of Scottslawn Road and they continued,” Brooks said.
He explained that at some point law enforcement officials were able to deploy stop sticks.
“They were effective on one of the tires, but the vehicle didn’t stop and they continued into Columbus,” Brooks said.
The car got onto I-270 North and then onto I-71 South.
“Just south of I-270, the vehicle crashed and the other two suspects bailed,” Brooks said.
Columbus Police used a helicopter in the effort to find the other two suspects who were ultimately able to get away.
Investigators were able to determine that the Hyundai had been reported stolen out of Reynoldsburg.
Knox has been charged with one count of complicity to breaking and entering, a felony of the fifth degree.
Brooks said police were able to identify at least two vehicles in the Kenmore Place development that the men were attempting to break into. He said it is unclear if they were trying to steal both cars or just break in to steal items from the vehicle.
He credited the observant neighbor for preventing thefts locally. He said it is important for people to call the authorities when they see something that looks out of place.
“Someone coming home saw these men and called to tell us something was going on,” Brooks said. “In these situations, it gives us a fighting chance to get there and stop it.”
Brooks is encouraging anyone who has information about the incident or who may have seen something to call investigators at (937) 645-7300.
“We don’t know how long they were in the area,” Brooks said. “So, there could be people who saw something that night and didn’t think much of it, but in light of this, realize it might be helpful. We would encourage them to contact us.”
He said it is important for people to protect their vehicles and their valuables.
“While we are a safe community, we are seeing it more and more. We have criminal elements, not from this community, coming in and trying to victimize our residents,” Brooks said, adding that his department “will continue to do everything we can to capture these folks and to prosecute them to the fullest extent that we can.”
He said these are often crimes of opportunity. The chief stressed that he says it often, but people “need to make themselves a hard target.” That means removing valuables from their car, locking their doors and parking in secure, well-lit areas. Brooks said it isn’t always the case, but police have seen incidents on security footage where a would-be thief will check a car door and, when they discover it is locked, move to a vehicle that is unlocked.