Johntae Trumbo, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, was one of two men arrested after a K-9 track found them hiding inside the hotel after fleeing authorities. Tyler Cockerell, 23, of Sellersburg, Indiana, also was arrested, though he is no longer listed on the jail site, online records show.
Credit: Johntae Trumbo/Shelby County Jail
Credit: Johntae Trumbo/Shelby County Jail
Trumbo faces failure to comply, possession of marijuana, and felony criminal tools charges.
Cockerell is charged with possession of marijuana and felony criminal tools.
Both men have not been formally charged, according to authorities.
The incident started July 3 around 1:15 a.m. in Wapakoneta, when a state trooper attempted to stop the car, occupied by both men, for speeding on Interstate 75 south.
The driver reportedly sped off as the trooper was walking up to the vehicle, prompting the start of the pursuit.
Speeds reached up to 110 mph during the chase, with the vehicle weaving through traffic, driving on the berm, and failure to use the turn signal, according to state troopers.
Once the chase reached the city of Sidney, an officer deployed Stop Sticks on the interstate near mile post 93.
The pursuit vehicle, as well as the state trooper’s cruiser struck the sticks, causing two of the trooper’s tires to be flat.
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The suspect vehicle kept driving, and continued to be pursued by another state trooper while the initial trooper’s vehicle pulled off to the side of the highway.
The pursuit vehicle exited the interstate and was found by authorities and a K-9 unit near the Holiday Inn Express on Folkerth Avenue, where the two suspects were tracked down inside.
Cockerell was found hiding behind a couch in the dining area, dressed in black with a backpack that contained 580 grams of marijuana, according to court records. He also had $2,200 in his pockets.
Trumbo, the driver, was found hiding in the hotel’s stairwell. Court records say he took off his shirt and left his keys with a small bag of marijuana on the fourth floor under the ice machine.
Both suspects were arrested and taken to the Shelby County Jail.
A search of the pursuit vehicle resulted in troopers also finding an undisclosed amount of marijuana and a gun. The vehicle was taken for evidence.
Sidney police and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the incident.
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