Press Conference followed a Police Cruiser found on Fire

NEW LEXINGTON, Ohio – Local response teams came together last week for an investigation involving a police cruiser being set on fire.

Perry County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference this morning following an investigation that started Monday, September 26, 2016. According to Patrol Sergeant Douglas Gill, a Perry County Sheriff’s Office Deputy was on duty in the village of Shawnee when he came across a suspicious vehicle and followed the vehicle onto a private dirt road. After realizing the road was unsafe for him to pursue, he then went to a local sewage plant in Perry County to see about the suspicious vehicle coming back through that area.

“Once he arrived at the sewer plant he then located a vehicle being the Shawnee Police Cruiser with a small amount of fire in the trunk or back area of the vehicle,” said Gill.

Later that evening another car was found on fire about two miles away. Thursday, September 29, 2016 after a concerned citizen called in about the investigation a search warrant was executed on Swamp road in Hocking County where police arrested two adult males and recovered stolen objects from the Shawnee police cruiser.

“Actually within the time period we received that was within 24 hours that these people were actually put in custody for what we feel is a pretty serous matter here in Perry County.”

Names will be released once they’re formally charged. Perry County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in this investigation by Hocking County Sheriff’s Office, New Lexington Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio State Fire Marshal Bureau, Shawnee Fire Departments, New Statesville Fire Department, and the Community Ambulance.

Shawnee Mayor, Renee Brunton, thanked all the local response teams for their involvement in this investigation.