Local man charged following police chase
ZANESVILLE − A 23-year-old Zanesville man is facing multiple charges following a pursuit Monday night.
According to the Zanesville Police Department, officers attempted to make a traffic stop on Ray Watts as the 2016 Kia he was driving had fictitious plates.
Watts failed to stop and the pursuit ensued on Old Newark Road and continued onto Ohio 146 until reaching Ohio 16. The pursuit continued into Licking County. Licking County deputies attempted to spike-strip the vehicle, but Watts drove through the center median and turned back towards Muskingum County. A ZPD officer was able to deploy spike-strips on Ohio 16 near Ohio 586 to disable the vehicle. Watts then drove off the side of the road and was taken into custody. A passenger in the Kia was taken into custody for an unrelated warrant, according to the ZPD.
Watts has been charged with failure to comply, a third-degree felony; kidnapping, a first-degree felony; possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony; possession of drug abuse instruments, a second-degree misdemeanor; and operating a motor vehicle with an invalid license plate, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.
He is being held in the Zanesville City Jail. His arraignment is set for Tuesday.
Anyone with information concerning the investigation is asked to contact the Zanesville Police Department at 740-455-0700. No further information is available.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Local man charged following police chase
