An Athens man led police on a high-speed chase Thursday after stealing $63 worth of boots and work gloves from Wal-Mart.
Police arrested Patrick R. Vandyke, 31, on Thursday afternoon and charged him with two third-degree felonies - one for attempting to evade police and another for attacking a Wal-Mart security guard as he fled the store. Municipal Court Judge William Grim set Vandyke's bond at $15,000, and he was taken to the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail.
Both Vandyke and a woman who rode in his gray Buick as he tried to evade police had outstanding arrest warrants, said officer Krishea Osborne of the Athens Police Department. Police sought Vandyke for theft and the woman for traffic offenses.
Vandyke attempted to leave Wal-Mart with two pairs of brown Brahma boots and a pair of work gloves, according to a police report. Osborne said he put one pair on, carried the other and attempted to hide the gloves under his jacket. When approached by a Wal-Mart security guard, Vandyke ran.
The guard grabbed Vandyke with his left hand and began calling the police with a cell phone in his right, Osborne said. Vandyke then attacked the guard, she said, bloodying the man's arm and tearing off several of his fingernails.
Once free, Vandyke took off. He drove west on US 33 at more than 80 mph, narrowly avoiding other cars as he attempted to evade police, according to the report and Osborne's account. Eventually, police pinned Vandyke's Buick against a guardrail and he surrendered to officers.
Vandyke will appear before Grim at 2 p.m. on Friday for a preliminary hearing. Each third-degree felony is punishable by one to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
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Dave Hendricks
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Patrick Vandyke
