LIMA — A Dayton man was taken into custody in Shelby County Wednesday after leading law enforcement agencies on a high-speed chase through the streets of Lima at speeds reportedly in excess of 75 miles per hour.

At 11:40 a.m. Wednesday, Freedom Elementary, Liberty Arts Magnet, Lima Senior, South Sci-Tech Magnet and Unity Elementary schools were placed in what school officials termed a “soft” lockdown during the chase as vehicles traveled at high rates of speed near several elementary schools. During the lockdown, there was no entry or exit from any of the school district’s buildings. The lockdown was lifted around noon.

According to a report issued by the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began at approximately 11 a.m. when the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force and the Allen County Sheriff’s Office were assisting Dayton police in an attempt to detain a homicide suspect, 47-year-old Jeremy Van Voorhis, who was wanted in Dayton.

The suspect’s vehicle was located but Van Voorhis fled as police approached. He led officers on a chase through three counties that ended on a rural Shelby County roadway when he surrendered and was taken into custody.

Van Voorhis was booked into the Allen County jail early Wednesday afternoon and is being held on a preliminary charge of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer by eluding or fleeing.

Lt. Aaron Rode of the Lima Police Department said the Allen County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol were initially engaged in the pursuit of a vehicle in an incident that started outside the city limits.

“We (Lima police officers) joined in and helped but when the vehicle left the city and headed towards Cridersville I called our guys off,” Rode said.

There were no reported injuries during the pursuit.