HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A Columbus man is in custody following a high-tech vehicle alert and subsequent traffic stop on US-23 in Harrison Township on Wednesday night.
Ronald William Cyrus was arrested by Pickaway County Sheriff’s deputies after a FLOCK license plate reader detected a stolen U-Haul box truck traveling southbound from the Franklin County line shortly before 9:40 p.m.
According to reports, Deputy Joshua McCrabb and South Bloomfield Police Officer Wiseman spotted the white 2026 U-Haul box truck bearing Arizona registration AN16059 near State Route 316. Officers initiated a traffic stop near the intersection of US-23 and Northup Avenue.
Cyrus, the driver, was ordered out of the vehicle and taken into custody without incident.
During a search of Cyrus’s person, deputies recovered a syringe containing a clear liquid—which Cyrus stated was “ICE,” a common term for methamphetamine—along with rubber tubing, a lighter, $69 in cash, and a cell phone. Deputy reports noted that two power tool batteries were also found in his coat.
A broader search and inventory of the vehicle revealed signs of forced entry and operation. Sgt. Joseph Hugus noted in his report that the truck’s steering column had been peeled open, with a screwdriver jammed into the ignition mechanism while the ignition assembly itself lay on the floorboard.
Inside the cab, officers located additional drug paraphernalia, including two hypodermic syringes in the cup holder area, a drug ingestion straw, a large screwdriver, and tourniquets. The cargo area contained bags and suitcases filled with mildewed women’s clothing, debit cards belonging to another individual, a digital scale, and power tools, including a grinder.
Dispatch confirmed with the City of Columbus that the vehicle had been reported stolen.
Cyrus was transported to the Pickaway County Jail, where he was booked without incident. The U-Haul was impounded by Last Notice Towing, and all evidence was secured by the sheriff’s office.
