One of two chase suspects is in custody, other still sought

Meadville Tribune, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·3 min read

Mar. 29—One of two men wanted in connection with a high-speed chase Saturday near Cochranton is no longer at large.

Zachary Thompson, 27, of Titusville was taken into custody by Pennsylvania State Police in western Erie County around 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Another man allegedly traveling with Thompson on Saturday, Cody Stokes, 27, remained at large Monday, according to Trooper Cindy Schick. Stokes is described by police as a white man, 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Thompson was captured after police had been called to investigate a crash on Crossingville Road in Elk Creek Township around 2:20 p.m. Sunday.

The crashed vehicle had been stolen out of the Venango County area with Thompson believed to have been its driver, according to police.

When troopers arrived on the crash scene and spoke with the property's owner, they learned Thompson had entered a barn on the property and attempted to steal a farm truck, police said.

As troopers were speaking with the property owner, they spotted Thompson running behind the barn and into an open field.

Troopers caught up with Thompson on foot and, after a struggle, took him into custody.

Thompson has multiple arrest warrants stemming from Pennsylvania State Police in Erie, Corry and Warren as well as Crawford County Adult Probation and Pennsylvania State Parole.

According to an earlier report, police located a vehicle the men were believed to be using on Franklin Pike near the intersection with Route 322 at approximately 1:15 p.m. Saturday. When troopers initiated a traffic stop, the white 2017 Volkswagen Golf fled east on Route 322. As the pursuit continued, the vehicle turned south on Townhall Road and then east on Route 285. Police ended the pursuit near the borough of Cochranton, although they did not indicate why it was called off.

Thompson was arraigned Monday afternoon on new charges filed by State Police at Girard for Sunday's incident in Elk Creek Township.

Thompson was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Lisa Ferrick on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, burglary, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, terroristic threats, possessing instruments of crime and multiple summary offenses.

He is being held in the Erie County Prison in lieu of $250,000 bond in that case. A preliminary hearing in that case is set for April 7.

Thompson also was arraigned Monday before Magisterial District Judge Amy Nicols of Titusville on two cases out of Crawford County.

He is charged by State Police with theft by unlawful taking and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and two summary counts for an incident in Oil Creek Township last Wednesday. Nicols set bond in that case at $100,000.

In the other Crawford County case, Thompson is charged with two counts of theft and one county of receiving stolen property for a Jan. 30 incident also in Oil Creek Township. Nicols set bond in that case at $100,000.

Preliminary hearings for the two Crawford County cases are scheduled for April 8 before Nicols.