A Bryan man has been indicted for fleeing from police after reportedly being observed driving the wrong way on a Bowling Green street.
A Wood County grand jury on Nov. 2 indicted John Allen Garza, 23, for failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony, and possession of a fentanyl-related compound and possession of cocaine, both fifth-degree felonies.
On Oct. 9 at approximately 3:39 a.m., a Bowling Green Police Division officer observed a black GMC pickup truck traveling westbound in the eastbound-only lane in the 200 block of West Wooster Street.
West Wooster Street was marked as eastbound-only traffic from the 200 block until Haskins Road.
The officer activated the patrol car’s overhead lights and the truck continued westbound before turning south onto Gorrell Avenue and accelerating until it reached Pearl Street.
The truck reportedly continued to accelerate westbound on Pearl Street before heading northbound onto Eberly Avenue. The truck failed to make a right turn back onto West Wooster and crashed into a fence and bushes in the 600 block.
Garza, who was identified as the driver, exited the truck and complied with orders to put his hands on the vehicle.
He first reportedly told police he didn’t stop because he didn’t see the officer and then stated he did see the officer, but he couldn’t stop because his brakes weren’t working.
He said he had no knowledge of a bag of white powder found on the driver’s seat.
The grand jury presented the court 20 bills of indictment against:
• Phillip Rein Ford, 33, Toledo, for breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony, and grand theft, a fourth-degree felony. On July 3 in the 100 block of Eagle Point Road, Rossford, he was accused of forcing entry into a detached garage and removing ladders, lawn equipment, tools, water pumps, clothing, a diamond ring and other items valued at more than $7,000. The owner suspected Ford, who had done some work on her deck. Police found online that some of the power tools had been pawned and track down Ford by the telephone number he provided to the Cashland in Oregon. A search of his email found photos matching the merchandise that had been taken.
• Alexander James Heyman, 20, Bellevue, for receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony; two counts improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, both fifth-degree felonies; possession of a defaced firearm, a first-degree felony; failure to comply with an opened container or beer or liquor laws, minor misdemeanor; and failure to comply with underage alcohol laws, a first-degree misdemeanor. On Sept. 23, Bowling Green police responded to an alcohol violation in a parking lot near the intersection of Pike and North Prospect Street. A man was standing in the lot with an open container of alcohol. A probable cause search of the vehicle uncovered a Glock 19 9mm handgun. A Smith & Wesson M&P Shield .40 caliber handgun also was reported stolen in Erie County and appeared an attempt had been made to remove the serial number. Both handguns were loaded. Heyman reportedly failed a field sobriety test and said a can of Twisted Tea found in the vehicle was his as were the two handguns.
• Bryson J. Basilius, 22, Toledo, for vandalism, a fifth-degree felony, and obstructing official business and resisting arrest, both second-degree misdemeanors. On Aug. 16 at 9:10 p.m., Basilius flagged down a police officer in the 10000 block of Old U.S. 20. He said he had been arguing with his friend about having to drive because he was under the influence. While officers spoke to the friend, Basilius started walking away. He kept walking and was arrested for obstructing official business. He allegedly caused harm to Rossford Police Department property when he kicked and broke the plastic partition in a police cruiser while under arrest.
• Michael Scott Stemen, 34, Bloomdale, for tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. On Oct. 2, 2021, he allegedly altered, destroyed or remove documents in order to impair their value as evidence in an investigation. A nationwide warrant has been issued for his arrest.
• Joshua Imel, 24, Lima, for telecommunications fraud, a fifth-degree felony, and identity fraud, a fourth-degree felony. On Nov. 26, he allegedly used personal identification of another without consent and purchased more than $1,000 in property or services and did so by using a telecommunication device.
• Nichole Lane Wolf, 46, Fremont, for vandalism, a fifth-degree felony; petty theft, a first-degree misdemeanor; and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony. On Sept. 19 in the area of U.S. 20 and Lime City Road, officers attempted a traffic stop on a 2014 Chrysler 300. The driver, later identified as Wolf, reportedly traveled a half mile before stopping. She allegedly refused to turn off her vehicle then intentionally struck the police cruiser before speeding away. The officer had to swerve off the road to avoid a head-on collision with the Chrysler. According to court documents, Wolf traveled eastbound on Route 20 at speeds exceeding 120 mph while swerving in and out of traffic. The pursuit was terminated due to the high volume of traffic. Wolf is accused of taking $187 worth of merchandise from Kohl’s without consent.
• Nathan Whitman, 22, Wauseon, for menacing for stalking, a fourth-degree felony, and attempting to trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, a fifth-degree felony. On Aug. 27, he allegedly entered a residence in the 600 block of South Main Street and sent the resident multiple text messages and phone calls telling her details of what was happening in the home. The resident was observed on her video surveillance walking outside and being startled by Whitman, who was waiting for her. She reportedly told police she feared for her safety.
• Tatum Thomas Bauman, 24, Bowling Green, for misuse of credit cards, a fifth-degree felony, and identity fraud, a fourth-degree felony. From Aug. 1-Nov. 11, 2021, he allegedly used a credit card without the owner’s consent while pretending to be the owner of the card. The value of property or services purchased was more than $1,000.
• Kirsten Ashley Poole, 23, Rossford, for possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony. On Nov. 24 while being booked into the jail, a folded piece of paper containing a white substance was found in her purse that later was found to be less than 0.10 grams of cocaine.
Poole also was indicted separately for possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony, after she was allegedly found in possession of the drug on June 22.
• Brandon Eddie Moore, 26, Detroit, for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. During a traffic stop on I-75 on July 25, a probable cause search reportedly revealed oxycodone in the vehicle.
• Jahiem Delon Montary Wright, 20, Toledo, for misuse of credit cards, a fifth-degree felony. On Sept. 6, he allegedly went to Walmart in Perrysburg and attempted to obtain a $500 gift card using a Vanilla gift card. The Vanilla card was voided at the register with Wright getting $500 in cash on the voided transaction. Juvenile suspects with him did not finish similar transactions as the transactions were intercepted by store management. White and the juveniles were stopped in the parking lot.
• Shane J. Smigielski, 27, Tontogany, for two counts domestic violence, one a fourth-degree felony and the other a second-degree misdemeanor. Police were called to Wall Street in Tontogany on Sept. 17 at 3:51 a.m. and spoke to a woman who said Smigielski had grabbed her by the shoulders, picked her up and threw her onto the couch. Smigielski said the fresh scratches on his wrist and forearm were from punching a whole in the bedroom door. He had previously been convicted of domestic violence in Wood County in 2020 while he knew the victim was pregnant.
• Co-defendants Austin John Hart, 28, of LaRue, and Samantha Ann Miller, 37, Lima, for theft, a fifth-degree felony, and receiving stolen property, a first-degree misdemeanor. On Sept. 22, they allegedly took various hand tools from Home Depot, valued at more than $1,000, without consent and then tried to dispose of two Visio televisions they knew were the property of Home Depot and had been obtained through theft.
