Child inside vehicle involved in St. Marys pursuit, arrest made

A man was arrested following a pursuit across two counties Thursday night that ended with his vehicle in a field.

Christopher Thornton, 38, of Phillipsburg, was arrested on suspicion of failure to comply, child endangering, theft of a motor vehicle and resisting arrest, according to St. Marys police.

St. Marys police were responding to the report of a stolen vehicle spotted in the Auglaize County city near a gas station on the corner of Main and South streets around 10 p.m., according to police.

That triggered the pursuit that continued into southern Auglaize and ended, after stop sticks were used to deflate tires, in a Mercer County field in the 1100 block of Goettmoeller Road.

A child related to Thornton, whose age was not released, was in the stolen vehicle, police said.  The child’s condition was not released.

Troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Auglaize County and Mercer County deputies and New Bremen Police were involved in the pursuit.