COLUMBUS, Ind. – A wanted man was arrested on several felony charges on Wednesday afternoon after he reportedly stole a vehicle and dragged a woman with him as he drove away. She suffered minor injuries.
The Columbus Police Department (CPD) recognized a passenger in a vehicle, David A. Compton, 23, of Columbus, as it was traveling on Central Avenue at around 3:45 p.m. Officers stopped the car and as they approached, Compton was able to climb over to the vehicle’s driver seat and push the original female driver partially out of the car. CPD says he then quickly accelerated, dragging the woman a short distance.
A vehicle pursuit ensued in which the suspect allegedly disregarded traffic signals and stop signs, drove on sidewalks, drove across a pedestrian bridge near Hamilton Center, and traveled the wrong way on city streets in an effort to evade law enforcement.
Police say the man then drove between houses near Jolinda Drive and crashed through a fence before exiting the stolen car. He fled on foot and was apprehended with the assistance of a Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office K-9 after he was located hiding inside a trash can.
Compton was charged with resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, auto theft, robbery, criminal recklessness, two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, and an Indiana Parole Warrant.
