Pickaway County, Ohio (January 17, 2024) – A man identified as Jhonny Garcia of Columbus was arrested on Tuesday, June 13th, following a high-speed chase involving reckless driving and multiple red light violations.
Initial Reports and Pursuit:
According to the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office, multiple 911 calls reported a red Ford F-150 driving erratically and swerving across lanes on southbound US-23 near Hagery Road. One caller specifically reported that the driver appeared to be changing clothes while operating the vehicle at approximately 65 miles per hour.
Sergeant Harger of the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle on US-23 near State Route 22. He observed the truck traveling in both lanes and noted the driver’s unusual posture of sitting in the middle of the bench seat. Upon running the license plate, it was identified as belonging to a Honda, not the Ford truck.
Sergeant Harger attempted to initiate a traffic stop by activating his emergency lights, but the driver, later identified as Garcia, accelerated and continued southbound on US-23. Garcia ignored red lights at the Sheetz and Walmart intersections before turning onto Dupont Road in an apparent attempt to evade law enforcement.
The pursuit continued down Dupont Road until Garcia entered a field and subsequently accessed a farm road leading to a wooded area. There, he stopped the vehicle and surrendered to Sergeant Harger, who approached with his weapon drawn due to Garcia’s reported erratic behavior and potential drug influence.
Post-Chase Investigation and Charges:
During questioning, Garcia reportedly admitted to being under the influence of methamphetamine and expressed fear of the officers, even asking if they were “the real police.” He was subsequently arrested and charged with:
- Failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer
- Operating a vehicle with an incorrect license plate
Garcia faced Pickaway County Judge today and was found guilty of Failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer a PSI (Presentence Investigation) has been ordered and he will be sentenced at a later date, but the judge did order Garcia to be held with no bond at the jail.
