Suspect steals Warren Township police cruiser after pursuit
WARREN TWP., Ohio - A man who lead Warren Township police on a high speed chase over the weekend and ended up getting away with the officer's cruiser, is facing charges for allegedly choking a prison guard.
Nathaniel Crew, 21, of Warren, was taken to the Portage County Jail Sunday in connection to charges stemming from the chase with police.
Crew is accused of choking a prison corrections officer and dragging her into a jail cell.
The Portage County Sheriff says this is an "open investigation" and that it's "not a common occurrence in the jail". Sheriff David Doak tells 21 News he had three calls regarding Crew that same day.
The chase started Sunday afternoon at around 12:15 p.m. after a victim claimed they were hit over the head and carjacked in a store parking lot off of Niles Road in Warren, on Sunday afternoon.
Warren Township police spotted the orange 2015 Jeep flying by their department on West Market Street not long after hearing about the incident. A township officer quickly started to chase the vehicle into Ravenna Township on State Route 59.
The chase reached up to 100 miles per hour.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol says Crew crashed near the intersection of 59 and Route 14 in Ravenna Township, where he was handcuffed and arrested.
What happened next was unexpected. The officer reports that Crew somehow got his hands in front of his body, slid through the partition window inside of his cruiser and got into the driver's seat, taking off in the officer's patrol cruiser. The Patrol describes Crew as a thin man.
The second pursuit to stop Crew ended near Route 44 and Route 5.
21 News reached out to Warren Township's police chief two days in a row to find out if any police procedures will change as a result of the cruiser theft and if the officer involved could face discipline. We have yet to hear back.
The department did say that partition's window was opened to allow air into the back of the cruiser, because it was a hot day.
Crew faces multiple charges including aggravated robbery, failure to comply, reckless operation in Trumbull and Portage counties, driving without a license, grand theft auto, assault and abduction.
Crew is due back in court on July 24 in Portage County Municipal Court for a preliminary hearing.
He has a criminal history in Portage County, including charges of assault, criminal trespass and burglary.
