A man who had just been released from jail decided to steal a city car to get home.
It happened on Friday when a probation officer from Chillicothe Municipal Court was visiting the county jail. The probation officer left the car running and unlocked, sitting in the alley near the law enforcement complex while he went inside. When he returned a few minutes later, the 2008 Chevy Impala was gone.
Officers from Chillicothe Police Department immediately entered the car into LEADs as stolen, and noted that the car had “Chillicothe Municipal Court” written on its side.
Officers were quick to review security camera video of the area and recognized James Brewer getting into the car and driving away. Officers said Brewer had just been released from the jail a few minutes earlier; a warrant was immediately put out for his arrest.
About three hours later Pike County deputies located Brewer and took him into custody. He initially told officers he didn’t steal the car before he changed his story.
“….Brewer admitted to stealing the car, claiming he was not from around here and had no phone or phone numbers to call for a ride. He stated he wasn’t ‘trying to steal the car’ but needed a ride home,” the officer wrote in his report.
Once incarcerated, he told investigators that the car was near his house on Spunk Run Road. Officers went to the area and recovered the car and Brewer was charged with a fourth degree felony.
