Man accused of stealing minivan, fleeing police, crashing while owner is on vacation pleads not guilty

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A man accused of stealing a mini-van while the owner was on vacation pleaded not guilty on Monday.

Jairamir Lopez, 18, is facing charges of failing to comply with an order or signal of a police officer to elude or flee and theft of a motor vehicle. In a court hearing on Aug. 7, a judge set the bond for Lopez at $10,000 at no percent.

His arrest came after a routine traffic stop escalated into reckless driving, which ultimately led to a crash.

TPD officers say Lopez fled from police when an officer tried to pull him over for a traffic offense around 6 a.m. on Aug. 5. They say the 18-year-old was driving at a high speed, running red lights, going left of the center and nearly causing an accident. Upon taking a corner too fast, the vehicle rolled over and crashed.

Upon further investigation, officers discovered the 2023 Honda Odyssey was stolen without the permission or consent of the owner. Detectives on the case spoke with the vehicle owner and learned they were out of the country on vacation. The owner told detectives the van should have been parked at his house.

Lopez is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 25 at 9:30 a.m. for trial.

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