Crime spree ends when teens hit watery barrier
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The wide Ohio River is what ended the flight of a teenage couple authorities believe engaged in a crime spree that crossed into three states.
A report released Sunday by the West Virginia State Police says the 16-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl jumped into the river in Tyler County on Saturday trying to flee from authorities. Police say they realized they couldn't swim all the way across, so they turned back and were captured.
That ended a 6-day ordeal that authorities say involved at least two stolen vehicles, the theft of ammunition from an Ohio Walmart, an armed robbery and injuries to a Pennsylvania police officer.
The sheriff's office in Wyandot County, Ohio, said 16-year-old Triston Kindle and 15-year-old Rose May were in the custody of West Virginia State Police. The two crashed a vehicle that had been stolen in Pennsylvania and fled on foot before they were caught, CBS Pittsburgh reported.
The teens, from the communities of Upper Sandusky and Sycamore in northwest Ohio, had been reported missing Monday. Family members had expressed fear for their safety.
Now, West Virginia and Pennsylvania state police are jointly investigating a series of crimes that may be connected to the juveniles, including armed robbery, car theft and fleeing from police. Authorities did not immediately say if any charges were filed against the teenagers.
Police said earlier this week that the two fled Ohio in a stolen pickup truck after allegedly stealing shotgun shells from a Wal-Mart in Bucyrus, about 20 miles east of Upper Sandusky.
They allegedly continued east toward Pennsylvania, stealing one or maybe two more vehicles and evading law enforcement possibly by hiding out in wooded areas.
Police were called Thursday to an armed robbery at the P&W mini-mart in Elizabeth Township in Allegheny County, authorities told CBS Pittsburgh. An officer sustained minor injuries after grabbing a trailer hitch and being dragged some distance before falling off, authorities said.
Elizabeth Township Police Chief David Kerestes said dozens of responders searched for the teens.
The teens' parents were notified their children had been apprehended and the parents traveled to New Martinsville, West Virginia, to meet with investigators, the sheriff in Ohio said.
The teens are from the northwest Ohio communities of Upper Sandusky and Sycamore. No new information was available Sunday on any charges they may face.