Stolen SUV chase ends near YSU; man arrested at gunpoint

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKBN) – A stolen SUV chase that started at Walmart in Liberty Township ended up near Youngstown State University’s campus.

An officer on patrol just before 1 p.m. last Wednesday in the Liberty Walmart parking lot got a “Be on the Lookout” alert for a stolen Chevrolet Tahoe out of Austintown. The officer spotted a vehicle matching the description of the stolen SUV leaving the Walmart parking lot.

The officer activated his lights and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver of the SUV, later identified as Javier Gonzalez, kept driving. Police say he went through a couple of stop signs and was traveling at speeds between 50 and 60 miles an hour through town, according to a police report.

At one point, Gonzalez stopped and let a female out of the vehicle, the report stated.

Eventually, Gonzalez jumped out of the SUV at Arlington and Ford and ran through a parking lot at YSU and a foot chase ensued, according to the report. Police ordered Gonzalez to the ground at gunpoint in the parking lot and he was arrested.

The stolen Tahoe was released to the owner at the scene.

Gonzalez was charged with fleeing and eluding, receiving stolen property, resisting arrest and reckless operation. He was arraigned the following day when no bond was granted. Court records indicate that Gonzalez was determined to be “a threat to public safety.”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Girard Municipal Court.

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