Two arrested in chase
By ROGER ADKINSPARKERSBURG - Two people were arrested after a police pursuit Friday night that covered 25 miles in two counties and resulted in the crash of one police cruiser.
The incident started around 7 p.m. at Corning Park along West Virginia 47, said Sgt. Greg Nangle, Parkersburg Police Department. The investigation was still ongoing at press time and some details were unavailable. No one was injured during the incident.
David Persons, age and address unavailable, was arrested along with a female companion whose name was not available at press time. They were being held in police custody in Wirt County, where the chase ended, Nangle said.
"It started at the Corning Boat Ramp on West Virginia 47. There was a gentleman who had his boat stolen out of Tuppers Plains, Ohio. The owner's son saw it down in the water there. He also saw a man and woman were getting ready to put it on a trailer. They had a truck backed up to the river. He confronted them and they took off. They left the boat in Worthington Creek," Nangle said.
Nangle said the truck the man and woman were using also was stolen.
"The truck apparently was stolen out of Ravenswood," he said.
The man who spotted the boat called police as the suspects were fleeing. Officers in the area were able to respond quickly and initiated the pursuit near Corning Park. The chase continued on West Virginia 47 toward West Virginia University at Parkersburg.
"The pursuit involved high rates of speed on W.Va. 47," Nangle said.
The West Virginia State Police became involved along with the Wood County Sheriff's Department.
The pursuit then continued onto several back roads, including Walker Road and Mount Carmel Road. Officers chased the vehicle onto Freeport Ridge Road, where the chase finally ended, but not before one of Parkersburg's cruisers struck a farm tractor. The officer driving the vehicle, Patrolman Seth Cook, was not injured.
"The car was substantially damaged," Nangle said.
At one point during the chase, the boat trailer detached from the truck.
"It actually flew off the back of the truck. The truck ended up driving over a hill on Freeport Ridge. I don't know if it was by choice or not. It was 150 yards down in the woods," Nangle said.
Nangle along with Trooper Lance Morrison and Deputy Jim Asbury located the vehicle. The woman was arrested at the truck, but Persons fled on foot and was found lying in a creek bed nearby, where he was arrested.
The exact charges against the suspects have not been determined, but Nangle said they would be charged with numerous offenses in Wood County, Wirt County, Jackson County and Meigs County.
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MrCastellano
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08-17-08 4:25 PM
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Good to see my father is still at it. I always have loved reading about his escepades because they're usually pretty funny. It's also good to see judgemental people on a website for a newspaper who think they know the justice system better than the judges and prosecutors.
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yolarry
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08-17-08 12:52 AM
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He just likes those free meals, cable tv and no worries about getting a job.
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DCGibson
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08-16-08 10:53 PM
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PKB PD Please tell us it wasn't one of the brand new cruisers .....
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RickWT
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08-16-08 9:29 PM
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We were his neighbors once too. He has a lot of charisma and is very intelligent. Unfortunately he is also a sociopath. I still can't believe he's not in prison. This guy's life would be a big news story. Guess we'll have to wait for Charleston or Columbus media to do more than type up the press releases.
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MicheleBurton
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08-16-08 6:36 PM
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Yes he has been doing it for a very long time. He used to be neighbor to my ex inlaws. He needs to be put in jail and stay there. In fact, I thought he was still in prison. I guess he's just broadening his horizons by going to other counties. Such a waste of county money and time for Ohio and West Virginia.
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RickWT
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08-16-08 12:18 PM
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David Persons has been arrested many times for serious felonies in both WV and OH, including a crime spree about 3 years ago. What in the world is he doing out of prison again? Guys like this make fools of prosecutors and judges and he's been doing it for 20 years.
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