The Dalton Police Department is investigating after a short chase involving a stolen vehicle.UPDATE: The three people charged in Friday’s police chase have been identified.
Beau Richard Smith, 26, is charged with theft by receiving stolen property, fleeing to elude police, reckless driving, obstruction of law enforcement officers and a number of other pending traffic violations. Skidder Joe Geren, 26, and Angela Vitrano are both charged with theft by receiving stolen property.
The theft by receiving stolen property charge for each of the three stems from their being in possession of the stolen Jeep. The vehicle was stolen from Cleveland, Tenn., two to three days ago in the middle of the night and the vehicle theft is being investigated by the Cleveland Police Department.
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.
ORIGINAL STORY: A man driving a stolen vehicle led Dalton police on a chase Friday morning.
The chase occurred after 10 a.m. when an officer saw a suspicious Jeep in the Thornton Avenue and Tyler Street area. After running the vehicle’s license plate, the officer discovered the vehicle was stolen.
The officer pulled the vehicle over and told the driver to get out, but the driver put the vehicle in gear and took off.
The driver attempted to drive up a footpath by an office at 28 Cedar Street, but the Jeep got stuck after it crashed between a deck and a wall beside the tennis courts at Lakeshore Park, forcing the driver to flee on foot.
The driver was located and taken into custody by officers at a neighboring yard minutes later. Two passengers in the vehicle surrendered after staying in the vehicle.