The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is seeking a suspect in a theft that took place Tuesday afternoon. The suspect fled the scene and managed to evade authorities after running into a corn field.
On October 7, 2014 at approximately 2:26pm, an employee from a store on State Route 95 East called the sheriff’s office to report a theft in progress. Officials said the employee stated that she was watching Vernon Ray Pennington conceal merchandise in his clothing. The employee indicated that she recognized Pennington from a prior theft incident at the store.
The employee attempted to stop Pennington for theft but he ran to a vehicle in the parking lot. A deputy sheriff arrived to the scene and said he observed Pennington leaving the parking lot and attempted to stop him. Pennington failed to stop and fled the area heading eastbound on State Route 95.
Deputies report they pursued Pennington for approximately 10 minutes and were behind him when he pulled over about a mile west of Edison. Pennington pulled off the road into a field access drive and then fled from his vehicle into a corn field. Deputies ran after Pennington and a K-9 also arrived to assist in the search. A perimeter was set up with assistance from the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, the Mt. Gilead Police Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The area was searched by deputies and K-9 officers, however Pennington was not located. All of the stolen property was recovered in Pennington’s vehicle.
Vernon Ray Pennington is 43 years old, 6’03” tall and weighs approximately 240 pounds. He has brown eyes and brown (graying) hair. Pennington is wanted for theft, criminal trespassing and failure to comply with a signal from a police officer (fleeing and eluding). Pennington is also on probation and has an active misdemeanor warrant from Marion Municipal Court Probation for failure to appear.
If anyone knows the whereabouts of Vernon Ray Pennington, you are urged to contact the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at (740) 382-8244 ext. 0 or call the Marion TIPS line at (740)375-TIPS (8477). Calls to the TIPS line can remain anonymous.
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