Ohio Man Steals Truck During Repossession (UPDATE)
WARREN COUNTY, Ohio (WXIX) – The victim of what the Warren County Sheriff’s Office called a repo gone wrong is speaking out after video was released Tuesday.
The victim claims the two men plotted to steal her vehicle through a fake repossession and now both of those men have been indicted on charges.
Warren County deputies were out in Deerfield Township for a call of a vehicle that was reportedly being stolen by a tow truck driver.
The owner of the vehicle says it was paid off years ago and it was being stored at a property on Holly Road.
“He said that he had an order to repossess my truck,” the victim explained to FOX19 NOW. “Fortunately for me, I know the homeowners. I’ve known them for over 30 years and they knew very well that there’s no repo on the truck.”
A report from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office identifies that tow truck driver as Jodie Johnston who has been indicted on charges of grand theft and criminal damaging.
The owner of the truck said they called the police as he allegedly tried to steal the vehicle.
“The next thing you know, he wrapped a chain around the frame of the truck and yanked it down a gravel driveway and totaled it and hit two other vehicles along the way,” the victim explained.
As deputies arrived and attempted to sort out what was happening, the police report says Jamie Williams jumped in the front seat of the tow truck and started to drive away nearly hitting two officers who were next to the vehicle.
“Mr. Williams was in the tow truck, however, he was, we believe, kind of ducked down under the dashboard because no one actually saw him but there was nowhere else for him to be,” the victim said. “He popped up from in the windshield they could see him and he scooted over in the driver seat and took off in the tow truck.”
While driving away, police say, Williams nearly hit two police cruisers before taking out a mailbox, and a street sign and hitting a fire hydrant.
Once the fleeing vehicle got around the cruisers, the video shows a person getting out of the moving vehicle and letting it roll into the treeline.
Williams has been indicted on eight charges, according to the court records. The most serious among them are two felonious assault charges, grand theft and two failure to comply charges.
