Three people were arrested in Dalton Friday morning after a short chase involving a stolen vehicle ended with the suspect vehicle crashed between a deck and a wall on a foot path beside the tennis courts at Lakeshore Park.
The incident happened shortly after
10 a.m. when an officer spotted a suspicious Jeep in the area of Thornton Avenue and Tyler Street.
The officer ran the vehicle's Tennessee license plate and found it was stolen. The officer pulled the vehicle over, and after telling the driver to get out, the driver put the vehicle in gear and ran.
Officers gave pursuit and chased the driver to the Lakeshore Park area. The driver attempted to drive up a footpath by the office at 28 Cedar Street but the Jeep got stuck. The driver fled on foot but was located by officers at a neighboring yard after a couple of minutes and taken into custody without further incident.
Two passengers in the vehicle surrendered after staying in the vehicle.
The charges are as follows:
Beau Richard Smith, 26, Cleveland – theft by receieving stolen property, fleeing to elude police, reckless driving, obstruction of law enforcement officers, and a number of other traffic violations which are pending.
Skidder Joe Geren, 26, Cleveland – theft by receiving stolen property.
Angela Vitrano, Louisiana - theft by receiving stolen property.
All three are also suspected of being involved in a number of shoplifting thefts from various retail stores around Dalton and charges related to those incidents are possible.