Man pleads to high-speed chase counts

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Seven people were arraigned on grand jury arraignments this week in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court, including a Mississippi man who pleaded not guilty to several charges related to a high-speed chase on Ohio 118 in early May.

Antonio Love, 34, pleaded to one count each of failure to comply with the order of a peace officer (fleeing), a felony of the third degree; driving under a license suspension, an unclassified misdemeanor; and leaving the scene of a property damage crash, a misdemeanor of the first degree. Judge Martin D. Burchfield set a $10,000 cash/commercial surety bond in the case and scheduled a pretrial conference for 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 18.

According to County Sheriff Thomas M. Riggenbach, Love was spotted by a deputy driving north through Ohio City on Ohio 118 at a very high rate of speed. The deputy then attempted to stop Love’s vehicle near the intersection of Ohio 118 and Cooper Road, but Love increased speed and fled. He continued north on Ohio 118 to Cooper Road, where he turned east, ran the stop sign at U.S. 127 and turned south onto that highway, losing control of his vehicle and going off the east side of the roadway. He then drove back onto the highway and continued south on U.S. 127.

The chase, which reached speeds of more than 100 mph, finally ended in Mercer County when a trooper from the Wapakoneta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Mercer County sheriff’s deputies were able to pull over Love’s vehicle near the intersection of U.S. 33 and Hassis Road.

Ashley Carr, 19, of Van Wert, entered not guilty pleas to one count each of aggravated trafficking in drugs, a felony of the second degree; aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony; and possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a felony of the fifth degree. She was released on an unsecured personal surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 27.

April Ladd, 37, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to one count each of aggravated trafficking in drugs, a felony of the second degree, with a specification she used $286 in cash in the commission of the offense; and aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the third degree. She was released on a surety bond, and will appear for a pretrial conference at 3 p.m. Monday, July 1.

Zachariah Minyoung, 18, of Van Wert, entered not guilty pleas to one count each of burglary, a felony of the second degree; burglary, a felony of the third degree; and trespass in a habitation, a felony of the fourth degree. He was released on a surety bond and will appear for pretrial conference at 3 p.m. July 1.

Kollin Taylor, 18, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to two counts of burglary, one a second-degree felony and the other a third-degree felony; and trespass in a habitation, a felony of the fourth degree. He was released on a surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 3 p.m. June 27.

David Rollins, 44, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. He was released on a surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 1 p.m. June 27.

Adam Hector, 31, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to three counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, each a felony of the fourth degree. A $10,000 cash/commercial surety bond was set in the case and a pretrial scheduled with his attorney.

Retired Greene County Common Pleas Judge Timothy Campbell heard a change of plea from Sonny Raines III, 29, of Van Wert. Raines changed his plea to guilty to a charge of attempted retaliation, a felony of the fourth degree. A presentence investigation will be conducted and sentenced held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 26.