SYCAMORE TWP., Ohio -- A report of a purse robbery in Kenwood kicked off a police chase spanning two counties that tied up traffic on Interstate 71 Tuesday night.
Except there was no purse stolen: Instead, a sheriff's official said, three people are suspected of stealing from two stores at Sycamore Plaza.
The mistaken purse-snatching call came in at about 7:49 p.m. Tuesday. The person described the suspects as being in a silver Ford Taurus, so a deputy tried to pull that car over.
That's when David Lowe, 52, sped away northbound on I-71, Hamilton County sheriff's Sgt. Dan McElroy said.
Lowe stopped only after law enforcement officials threw out stop sticks near Ohio Route 48 in Warren County, McElroy said. Three of the car's tires went flat about a mile later.
"I don't know the end result of this investigation, but when it came out as a robbery -- you don't know if there is a weapon; and they did a very good job of jumping on the suspect vehicle immediately, maintaining visual, calling out the pursuit as far as where they were and that's key to getting the stops sticks out,” McElroy said.
Lowe and two women in the car -- Sandry Turner, 50, and Sharon Smith, 49 -- were taken to the Hamilton County Justice Center.
Their car, McElroy said, was full of items.
McElroy said it appears they were involved in thefts from a LensCrafters and a TJMaxx.
All three face charges of theft and possession of criminal tools.
Lowe also faces charges of failure to comply and driving under suspension.
