Charges Filed in Vehicle Pursuit

Zanesville Police release more details into a vehicle pursuit earlier this week.

Detective Sgt. Phil Michel said that the driver of the vehicle 23-year-old Ray Watts, of Zanesville, is being charged with failure to comply, kidnapping, possessing criminal tools, drug abuse instruments and operating a motor vehicle bearing a invalid license plate.

A passenger in the vehicle was also taken into custody for an unrelated warrant.

Zanesville Police said that Monday around 10:30pm officers attempted to make a traffic stop on a 2016 Kia for having a fictitious registration. Authorities said the vehicle and owner had previously been reported to the ZPD for possibly selling narcotics at Pearl House.

The vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit ensued beginning on Old Newark Road. The pursuit continued onto State Route 146 until it reach State Route 16, when the pursuit entered Licking County. Licking County Deputies attempted to spike-strip the vehicle, however the vehicle drove through the median and back towards Muskingum County. A ZPD was to deploy spike-strips on State Route 16 and 586. The Kia then drove off the side of the road and Watts was taken into custody.

Watts is currently being held in the Zanesville City Jail. His arraignment is schedule for Thursday, January 27.

Anyone with information concerning the investigation are asked to contact the Zanesville
Police Department at (740) 455-0700. No further information is available.