Tell City, IN - Prison awaits man who Stole Cop’s Car -
Suspect Stole Police Rifle - 2 County Manhunt
Aug 2, 2007
TELL CITY - A teenage burglary suspect who stole a city police car and led
officers on a half-day manhunt in Perry and Spencer counties was sentenced July
26 to four years in prison.
Quinton L. Jennings, 18, has been jailed since surrendering to State Police
Trooper Mark Lehmkuhler in a vacant home on Jones Mill Road several hours after
Jennings ditched the squad car and ran away on foot.
Perry County Magistrate Jonathan Parkhurst sentenced Jennings to two years in
prison on each of two charges: resisting law enforcement and auto theft. A
two-year sentence for a second theft charge will be served concurrently with the
four years.
Jennings signed a plea agreement with prosecutors in late May and agreed to
plead guilty to the three counts.
Just 17 at the time of his arrest, Jennings led police on a four-county chase
that began in Vanderburgh County and only ended when he stalled a stolen van on
railroad tracks on Tell City’s south side. Jennings jumped in the police car
as officers combed the area for him, leaving the city with the car’s red and
blue lights still flashing.
He abandoned the car on a farm north of Troy and fled on foot with a rifle,
more than 80 rounds of ammunition and an electrical stun gun. More than 20
officers fanned out in a search of homes and farm outbuildings, corn and soybean
fields and rolling woods that line the river separating Perry and Spencer
counties.
Lehmkuhler, noticing a partially open garage door and a broken window at the
home on Jones Mill Road, found Jennings inside shortly before noon.
The rifle was found in the house and Jennings later showed officers where he
had thrown the stun gun into a soybean field.