Five Rushsylvania men were arrested early Sunday, June 1 after leading police on a pursuit in the city following a reported burglary at a North Madriver Street residence.
Bellefontaine police officers made contact with the person who reported the burglary shortly after 1 a.m. and were informed the suspects ran toward Marathon, 200 E. Sandusky Ave.
When officers arrived, they saw a car exit the business headed the wrong way on the one-way stretch of north Madriver. Police quickly located the car headed westbound Columbus Avenue at Detroit Street and gave chase. The driver again disregarded a posted one-way street by turning north on Detroit, hitting speeds of about 50 mph well into the 200 block of north Detroit.
The driver continued to evade law enforcement in the downtown area, running stop signs and almost stricking a police cruiser at one point, before eventually driving eastbound on east Sandusky, passing a semi in the 300 block of east Sandusky and hitting speeds of approximately 70 mph.
The driver then abruptly stopped and turned into a residence on the 800 block of east Sandusky, at which time three passengers exited the vehicle and fled northbound on foot.
The driver was eventually identified as Siataga Phillips, of 236 N. Sandusky St., Rushsylvania, and was uncooperative with the officers from the start. He reportedly finished a can of beer before throwing it on the floor of the vehicle in the presence of the officers. A passenger in the rear of the vehicle, identified as Fa’aleo Falefata, of the same address as Phillips, also continually failed to comply with officers’ orders, but both men were eventually cuffed and transported to the Logan County Jail, where Phillips was reported to have repeatedly threatened the officers.
A search of the car revealed a unloaded 9 mm handgun and multiple open containers of alcohol.
Phillips was charged failure to comply, improperly handing firearms in motor vehicle, obstructing official business, OVI, aggravated menacing as well as facing a host of motor vehicle violations.
Falefata was charged with disorderly conduct and three passengers who fled the vehicle, Onosai Tonise, Taumafai Tonise, and Andrew Da’asu, all also of 236 N. Sandusky St., Rushsylvania, were located and each charged with obstruction of official business.
The incident that prompted the chase was the report of a robbery in the north Madriver St. area where a group of men reportedly assaulted two men and stole a pair of Nike sneakers and a smartphone, both of which were recovered.
