Dogs found in stolen U-Haul involved in police chase

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Four dogs are at the Mahoning County Dog Warden’s facility after they were found in a stolen U-Haul van following a police chase early Monday morning.

A Liberty police officer noticed a U-Haul vehicle at a gas station on Belmont Avenue around 1 a.m. and checked the vehicle’s registration due to an increase in stolen U-Hauls in the area, according to a police report. The officer then discovered that the van had been reported stolen in Warren.

The officer then tried to pull over the vehicle on Interstate 80 but said the vehicle took off, leading police on a chase along Interstate 680 south.

The chase reached speeds of up to 102 miles per hour, and the U-Haul was swerving back and forth between two lanes, the report noted. The officer noted that the vehicle was also running through red lights and stop signs as the chase continued down residential streets.

Officers lost sight of the U-Haul on Landsdowne Boulevard and terminated the pursuit near Parker Street, according to the report.

Later, Campbell police officers were also involved in a pursuit of the vehicle before it was found abandoned in the 800 block of E. Avondale Ave. in Youngstown, with multiple dogs inside.

Police were able to obtain a photo of the driver from surveillance cameras and are continuing to investigate.

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