Homicide victim, suspect ID'd after slaying

A woman was killed and a man was arrested as Huber Heights police investigated a Friday night shooting.

Officers responded to the homicide at a home in the 4000 block of Cree Avenue Friday just before 7 p.m.

Montgomery County jail records indicated Huber Heights police arrested Ryan Mitchell, 28, on suspicion of murder. Mitchell was booked into jail around 2 a.m., but has not been officially charged as police are still meeting with the county prosecutor about the case.

Melissa Nilson, 26, of Huber Heights, was identified by the Montgomery County Coroner's Office as the victim in the case. They also ruled a gunshot wound as her preliminary cause of death.

The nature of Nilson's relationship to Mitchell has not been disclosed.

Lt. Mark Lightner said police received a call at 6:50 p.m. from a Cree resident who reported she saw a man running from a house where a woman was lying in the driveway after hearing what sounded like a gunshot.

Lightner could not confirm the cause of Nilson's death Friday night, but the coroner's office had an autopsy scheduled for her body Saturday.

One of the first officers on scene saw a silver Grand Am speeding away and assumed it was involved. A pursuit ensued and Mitchell's vehicle crashed into another motorist on Rip Rap Road.

Lightner said Mitchell bailed out of the vehicle and took off running. Police tracked him down at a nearby bar -- Jackass Flats, 6024 Rip Rap Road.

"He forced his way through a back kitchen door and was apprehended inside," Lightner said.

Police said officers used a Taser to subdue Mitchell and he sustained injuries from the crash and was taken to the hospital.

Mitchell has an extensive criminal arrest history including aggravated menacing, domestic violence, assault, drug charges and burglary, according to Montgomery County jail records.

Ronald Stechenfinger, the north Dayton resident who was struck by the suspect vehicle, said he was only 15 minutes away from home when the crash occurred.

Stechenfinger said he saw police in front and behind as the fleeing vehicle was coming toward him.

"I didn't know what was going on I knew something was serious," he said. 'This car came speeding toward me and was in my lane. I put my two wheels into the grass ... he just cleaned my van completely down the one side."

Stechenfinger said he thought initially he was not hurt, but several minutes after the crash he started to feel pain in his neck and head.

"It was quite an impact," he said.. "I just thank God that I moved into the grass because if it would have been a head-on it would have been very serious ... It was like a movie that you watch real fast. The after-effects of it are lingering."

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