Fentanyl, handgun seized after chase

SIDNEY — Four were taken into custody on multiple charges Saturday following a police pursuit near Sidney.

Officers found a large amount fentanyl, cash and a stolen handgun inside the vehicle. After a further investigation, it was found that the same vehicle was involved in an armed robbery in the Cincinnati area of Delhi Township earlier in the day. The vehicle also had stolen tags on it and was found to be stolen out of Cincinnati. After contacting several of the agencies involved, it was also found that the stolen handgun might have been used in a past officer-involved-shooting by one of the suspects.

Around 3:48 p.m. Saturday, Sidney Police Officer Bobby Benshoff attempted to stop a Silver Nissan Sentra for an equipment violation at the northbound 90-mile marker on I-75. The vehicle got off exit No. 92 (Michigan Street) and continued without stopping, going eastbound onto Michigan Street. The vehicle ran a red traffic light on Michigan Street at Fourth Avenue and Benshoff called out that he was attempting to stop a vehicle that wasn’t stopping. Benshoff ran the plate of the vehicle and it came back to a suspended driver out of Cincinnati. Benshoff continued to pursue the vehicle eastbound through downtown Sidney on Court Street and K-9 Officer Jim Jennings joined the pursuit and took the lead of the pursuit as the vehicle continued to travel eastbound out of the city on state Route 29. The vehicle continued eastbound on state Route 29 and turned northbound onto state Route 706. The driver continued until they attempted to go straight onto Tawawa Mapelwood Road and lost control of the vehicle and went into a bean field. The driver and two other passengers took off running from the vehicle in which Sidney K-9 Officer Kilo gave chase. All three quickly stopped running and complied and were placed under arrest. A fourth passenger who remained with the vehicle was also apprehended.

The driver of the vehicle, a 16-year-old male from Cincinnati, was arrested for drug trafficking, fleeing and eluding, several receiving stolen property charges and he had an active warrant from Hamilton County. Two adult passengers Jacon Breaton, 18, from Covington, Kentucky and Keonte Hardy, 21, from Cincinnati, were also arrested for drug trafficking and several receiving stolen property charges. Raul Armando Vega Jr., 18, from Cincinnati, was arrested for drug trafficking, several receiving stolen property charges and also had active warrant out of Hamilton County for felonious assault with a gun.

The adults were taken to the Shelby County Jail and the juvenile was transported to the juvenile detention center in Troy.