A Marietta man is in jail on multiple charges after allegedly fleeing from law enforcement with two young children in his car.
Ivan L. Patterson Jr., 21, of 104 Riley Drive, Apt. 1, was charged with child endangerment, fleeing and eluding, failure to comply with the order/signal of an officer, possession of drugs, driving under suspension, complicity, speeding and failure to drive in marked lanes, all misdemeanors, Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks said. No bond had been set as of Monday night.
Patterson was arrested Monday afternoon by Ohio Highway Patrol troopers after a vehicle pursuit that started on Interstate 77 and ended on Ohio 60 in Devola, Mincks said. Additional information was not available from the patrol Monday night.
Mincks said he was told a trooper attempted to pull Patterson over for speeding and the suspect exited I-77 onto Ohio 821, fleeing toward Marietta before turning north onto Ohio 60. He got out of the car near Heartland of Marietta, 5001 Ohio 60, and attempted to flee on foot before being apprehended, the sheriff said.
"He had two kids in carseats in the back of his car," Mincks said.
Sheriff's deputies were called upon to assist and were ready to deploy stop sticks had the suspect headed toward Marietta, Mincks said.
