A stolen red Dodge Durango packed with juveniles blew past Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers at high speed before getting ditched on a quiet Kettering side street early Sunday, and now police want the public’s help identifying the juveniles. The SUV was found abandoned and unoccupied on Powhatten Place, and investigators have released video in hopes that someone recognizes the group inside.
According to the Kettering Police Department, troopers first spotted the vehicle fleeing at a high rate of speed before it crossed into Kettering jurisdiction. State troopers notified Kettering police that the Durango had entered the city, and officers were alerted to the pursuit at approximately 3:20 a.m. on September 13. As reported by K99.1FM, the Durango was abandoned on Powhatten Place.
Detectives Ask Public to Help Identify the Group
The case adds to a string of recent stolen-vehicle incidents that Kettering officers have investigated. Hoodline reported earlier this month that a Montgomery County grand jury indicted a suspect who rammed cruisers with a stolen Chevrolet Suburban outside a Kettering gas station in August. In February, a Montgomery County jury convicted a 48-year-old man in a violent Kettering home invasion in which a resident was assaulted and his vehicle stolen.
Why Durangos Keep Turning Up in Theft Cases
The choice of vehicle in this latest incident is not unusual for car thieves. Four-wheel-drive Dodge Durangos recorded 592 whole-vehicle theft claims per 100,000 insured vehicle years, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute, placing the model among the most frequently stolen vehicles in North America. Dodge performance models also rank highly in theft indices.
The incident also fits a broader spike playing out across the region. Montgomery County police reported a 22% increase in motor vehicle thefts. Kettering police had already warned residents in March that 16 vehicle thefts were reported in the city over a single 30-day span, with many cases tracing back to unlocked doors or keys left inside cars.
Potential Charges Under Ohio Law
Whoever is identified in the video could face legal consequences. The specific charges and penalties would depend on the facts of the case…