Preble County man, suspect in home break-in, steals truck after release on bond

A man is in the Preble County Jail after the Preble County Sheriff’s Office said he stole a truck minutes after being released on bond from jail. According to a release, the man was one of two suspects in a May 9 home burglary in the 100 block of Quinn Road in Twin Township.

In the release, the sheriff’s office said that it arrested Katherine Steele, 33, and Justin McTeer, 39, both of Camden, connected to the home break-in, charging both with breaking and entering and theft in the Eaton Municipal Court.

The arrest was made just after noon on Monday, according to Preble County Jail records.

Steele remained in the jail, but the release said McTeer posted bond and was released that afternoon

The sheriff’s office said it believes that within minutes, McTeer stole a pickup truck from the Marathon gas station on North Barron Street in Eaton, then drove east, reportedly hitting several mailboxes before crashing the truck in the 5200 block of Lexington Road.

He then started a physical confrontation with a passer-by who stopped to check on him, the sheriff’s office said, adding that it believes McTeer was trying to take the passer-by’s vehicle.

Deputies arrived shortly after the crash, and after a foot chase took McTeer into custody again, the release said.

McTeer has been charged with four counts of robbery, two counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle, one count of misdemeanor assault, one count of petty theft, one count of resisting arrest and two counts of criminal endangering, according to the Preble County Sheriff’s Office. His bond has been set at $100,000.

The Eaton Police Department is handling the vehicle theft investigation.

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