FREDERICKTOWN – An FPD officer conducting random business security checks after hours resulted in the arrest of 3 Columbus area residents, Brittany Messer, 25, Gregory Davis, 25, and Antwan Brown, 38.
Fredericktown Police Chief Roger Brown said, on Monday morning at approximately 12:21 am, Patrolman Ronny Flynn was conducting business security checks when he entered the parking lot of the Fredericktown Chevrolet Dealership and observed 2 suspicious, out of county vehicles in the parking lot and he saw persons attempting to flee the area on foot.
Brown said, Ptl. Flynn requested assistance from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and then began pursuing the subjects on foot. While traveling through the dealership lot, Flynn observed that wheels and tires had been removed from a new Chevy truck. Ptl Flynn was able to apprehend and detain Brittany Messer while others fled the area.
Once Knox County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived on the scene, they conducted a search for persons in the area, Chief Brown said. At this time, Gregory Davis was detained after he was located stuck in a fence that he attempted to cross while fleeing the area.
After Deputies conducted an extensive search of the immediate area for the remaining subjects, Danville Police Sergeant Chad Lishness responded to the scene with his K-9 and conducted a search. The K-9 and Lishness were able to track the fleeing subjects for some distance before losing the track, Brown said.
Chief Brown said a Knox County Assistant Prosecutor was contacted concerning this investigation and felony theft charges were authorized on Messer and Davis. Both Messer and Davis were arrested and transported to the Knox County Jail and held without bond. The 2 suspect vehicles were towed and impounded and are being held awaiting a search warrant.
Brown said approximately an hour and a half after officers cleared the scene at the dealership, the Knox County 911 Dispatch Center received a tip that a third suspect in the investigation, Antwan Brown, was at the BellStores requesting a taxi to transport him to Columbus. FPD and KCSO officers responded to the scene and detained Antwan for questioning. At the conclusion of an interview, Antwan was also arrested, transported to the Knox County Jail and held without bond on a felony theft charge.
“We do know the identity of the fourth subject that fled the area from officers “during this incident, Brown said. “This investigation will continue and its likely more charges will be filed in this case.”
Chief Brown not only credits Ptl. Flynn for the positive outcome of the case, but the excellent working relationship between Knox County Law Enforcement that was shown during this investigation with assistance from Knox County Sheriff’s Sgt. Selby, Deputies Aurand, Eppic, Hess, Miller, Phillips, Danville Police Sgt. Lishness and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.