Trish Bennett, Editor
CIRCLEVILLE – Two suspects are in custody and one is still at large following an East Franklin Street home burglary on Saturday that ended in a chase into Franklin County.
Gary E. Lewis, 33, was taken into custody in Circleville shortly after the incident that occurred about 9:29 a.m. Saturday. He is currently in the Pickaway County Jail facing charges of burglary and theft.
Mikiah Strome was arrested in Columbus by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and charged with felony failure to comply (fleeing and eluding), as well as burglary and theft.
A third suspect, Michael T. Bell of Circleville, also has been charged with burglary and theft. A warrant for his arrest has been requested by the Circleville Police Department.
According to reports, Circleville Police were dispatched to a burglary in progress about 9:29 a.m. Saturday at 348 E. Franklin St. Witnesses reported seeing two men running toward a green Chevy Astro van, and the vehicle left the scene before officers arrived.
Responding officers located the vehicle on East Main Street and attempted to make a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled northbound out of the city.
Lewis reportedly exited the vehicle and was taken into custody by Circleville Police. The van, allegedly occupied by two additional suspects, continued northbound into northern Pickaway County, where the pursuit was terminated for safety reasons.
Shortly after Circleville officers ended their pursuit, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office was notified. Deputies there reportedly located the suspect vehicle and reinitiated pursuit, finally stopping the Astro van in the area of U.S. Route 62 and Leonard Avenue in Columbus.
Strome was taken into custody by Franklin County Sheriff deputies, but Bell was not located and remained at large Saturday afternoon.
The incident remains under investigation by the Circleville Police Department.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
