SIDNEY — A juvenile and three adult males were arrested Saturday afternoon on multiple charges following a pursuit with Sidney Police. A large amount of fentanyl, cash and a stolen handgun were found in the vehicle.
Sidney Police attempted to stop a silver Nissan Sentra for an equipment violation on Interstate 75 north at the 90 mile-marker on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, around 3:48 p.m. According to a Sidney Police press release, the vehicle got off on exit 92 at Michigan Street, and continued without stopping, going eastbound onto Michigan Street. The Nissan Sentra ran a red traffic light on Michigan Street at Fourth Avenue. Sidney Police Officer Bobby Benshoff called out he was attempting to stop a vehicle that wasn’t stopping.
Benshoff ran the plate of the vehicle and it came back to a suspended driver out of Cincinnati. Benshoff continued to pursue the vehicle eastbound through downtown Sidney on Court Street. K-9 Officer Jim Jennings joined the pursuit and took the lead of the pursuit as the vehicle continued eastbound out of the city on state Route 29. The Nissan continued eastbound on state Route 29, turned northbound on state Route 706, and continued until the driver attempted to go straight onto Tawawa Maplewood Road but lost control of the vehicle and went into a bean field.
The driver and two passengers took off running from the vehicle, in which Sidney K-9 Officer Kilo gave chase. All three quickly stopped running, complied and were placed under arrest. A fourth passenger who remained with the vehicle was also apprehended.
Officers found a large amount of fentanyl, cash and a stolen handgun inside the vehicle. After a further investigation, it was found the same vehicle was involved in an armed robbery in the Cincinnati area of Delhi Township earlier in the day. The vehicle had stolen tags on it, and the vehicle itself was found to be stolen out of Cincinnati.
After contacting several of the agencies involved, it was also discovered the stolen handgun might have been used in a past officer-involved shooting by one of the suspects, the release said.
The driver of the vehicle, a 16-year-old male, of Cincinnati, was arrested on drug trafficking charges, a first-degree felony, fleeing and eluding, and several receiving of stolen property charges; he also had an active warrant from Hamilton County.
Two adult passengers, Christopher Wayne Brearton, 18, of Covington, Kentucky, and Keonte Devon Ontoni Hardy, 21, of Cincinnati, were also arrested on drug trafficking charges, a first-degree felony, and several receiving stolen property charges.
Raul Armando Vega Jr., 18, of Cincinnati, was arrested on drug trafficking charges, a first-degree felony, and several receiving stolen property charges; he also had an active warrant out of Hamilton County for felonious assault with a gun.
The adults were taken to the Shelby County Jail and the juvenile was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Troy.
