Spike in stolen cars

PORT CLINTON — A slew of stolen cars have been racing through local counties recently, and law enforcement officials are working together to find the best way to catch the dangerous speedsters. Among them: On Feb. 10, an 18-year-old man from Detroit allegedly drove at speeds up to 130 mph during a pursuit in Erie Township on Ohio 2. According to a court document, the man fled from deputies at dangerous speeds in an area near Strange Road. When deputies flipped on their lights and sirens, he turned his lights off, and the chase continued in the dark. The man was eventually apprehended near Ohio 163 after a set of spike strips were thrown down, and the teen was charged with multiple felonies, including failure to comply, receiving stolen property and tampering with evidence. He allegedly tried to shove the stolen car keys under the backseat in the cruiser and was carrying a firearm in a backpack. This chase was only one of several similar incidents in Ottawa County and other areas in Ohio. Hellcats and Scatpacks Ottawa County prosecutor James VanEerten said these high-speed pursuits are a growing trend in the region. Stolen cars from manufacturers in Michigan are passing through Ottawa, Erie and Sandusky counties as they are moved to Columbus and Cleveland. "We've seen a huge rash in stolen vehicle pursuits," VanEerten said. "In my first four years as prosecutor, we had maybe two to three pursuits in a year. Now we are well into double digits in the past year. It's becoming a statewide issue." VanEerten said thieves are not necessarily after the cars rather their parts. It's hard to sell a stolen car because of the VIN, but parceling out parts for sale can be a lucrative venture. "Even if you take the plates off or change the plates, you can't change the VIN," VanEerten said. "The VIN is what is tracked. Smaller parts, and parts under the hood aren't stamped with VINS and they can get a higher value on the street." A few specific car models pop up in these stolen car incidents more than others. Dodges and Jeeps with tricked-out power engines are easy targets and have motors that catch a high price on illicit auto markets. Dodge Chargers and Challengers fitted with high-performance engines can reach NASCAR speeds in seconds. The Scatpack engine option holds 485 horsepower, and the Hellcat motor works with 717 horsepower. For an extra $20,000 or so, drivers can reach speeds of 170 mph and over in a matter of seconds. For comparison, the average large SUV or truck holds around 200 horsepower at most. The engine capacity is not the only thing that makes these cars vulnerable to theft. VanEerten said these cars have tech that lack security features that make them easy to hack and unlock. "My understanding is these models are stolen because of the high demand for their parts, and also they are relatively easy to steal," VanEerten said. Hot pursuits While the court system handles the individual car thieves responsible, law enforcement is tasked with the tricky task of stopping the souped-up vehicles. Ottawa County sheriff's captain of operations Aaron Leist said the sheriff's office has been dealing with these high-speed chases since mid-2020. Reports of reckless drivers come from other motorists who spot them on the highway as well as other police agencies who may have started, and lost, the pursuit. "A lot of the top-end speeds we are seeing is 160 and 170 mph, and before, we even activate a pursuit, they are operating at that high rate of speed," Leist said. Law enforcement cruisers are designed for rugged terrain and durability rather than speed, Leist said, which makes it even more difficult for deputies and officers to catch up and safely apprehend the drivers. "Our vehicles aren't designed for 170, 180 mph," Leist said. "They are rugged vehicles so we can't get to them all the time, and when we start a pursuit, they may already be at those high speeds and we are starting at a standstill." Leist said that people moving the stolen cars across state lines prefer roads like Ohio 2 over the Ohio Turnpike because of the accessibility to offshoot county roads that can provide a quick escape. "Most of these cars are coming directly out of Detroit. They are stolen there from the manufactures and being taken to Columbus and Cleveland," he said. "They use Route 2 to use the roads as (shortcuts) they can get off on." Unfortunately, Route 2 is a two-lane stretch that does not provide much room for cars to maneuver in. Leist said in pursuits public safety is the prime concern. "We are not looking to endanger people," Leist said. "We are working with state, federal and local agencies to find the best way to pursue these vehicles in a safe way. If there is any hazard of public safety, we terminate the pursuits and try to pick them up again further east." Stop sticks have become a bread-and-butter tool that deputies have used to stop cars in these pursuits. In the Detroit man's case, he was only stopped when his tires were flattened with stop sticks. "The sheriff has been good about having stop sticks in every cruiser," Leist said. "We all have to be trained in that, and when it's practical in safe locations where there is light traffic, we use those in pursuits." Leist said catching the drivers is a matter of working with state agencies as a team to coordinate pursuits. Canceling pursuits and picking them up further down the road is sometimes the only safe option for law enforcement. "These drivers are a great concern for us," Leist said. "Especially in the two-lane stretch of Route 2 because you have defensive drivers that try to get out of the way of those drivers who are passing at crazy speeds. These drivers have no regard for the public's safety when they do this."