Warrant filed after high-speed chase

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by Jeff Saunders

Reporter

Macedonia -- Police said they have issued a warrant for a Geauga County man after he allegedly took an $848 computer from a Macedonia Commons Boulevard business, then led a police officer on a high-speed pursuit north on Interstate 271 June 4.

According to the report, a store employee saw the man walking out of the store with the computer in a shopping cart.

A sales associate in the electronics section said a man matching the man's description had been looking at computers, but had not purchased one.

The associate then confirmed that a computer was missing.

The report stated that when the employee tried to confront the man in the parking lot, the man jumped into the minivan and drove away with the computer.

After store employees called police, Patrol Officer Steve Van Ness spotted a vehicle matching the van's description on Interstate 271 and chased it at speeds of up to 100 mph, but was forced to end the pursuit for safety reasons.

"The officer terminated the pursuit because of heavy traffic around 271 and Chagrin Boulevard," said Police Lt. Vince Yakopovich.

Police said they identified the vehicle's owner using the minivan's license plate number.

The owner, a Mayfield Heights man, told police that the Newbury man was an acquaintance of his and had taken the minivan without permission.

Yakopovich said police have been in contact with a Newbury man and expect that he will either turn himself in or police will pick him up soon.

"He's not going to be difficult to find," said Yakopovich.

E-mail: jsaunders@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3169