On Tuesday, August 27, 2019, at approximately 1:30 am, officers received information that two juveniles were driving a stolen vehicle north from Utica, toward Mount Vernon. Deputies spotted the vehicle on Newark Road just north of Sycamore Road. When deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspects refused to stop, forcing officers to deploy spike strips in the area of Suburban Propane. The suspect’s vehicle struck the spike strips and came to a stop in the area of Brookwood Drive. A 16-year-old and a 12-year-old were taken into custody.
It was then discovered that the suspects had overpowered a guard and escaped from the Perry Multi-County Juvenile Facility, located in New Lexington, Ohio. They had then stolen a vehicle. Charges are pending, and both were transferred to a juvenile detention facility in Muskingum County.