Chase in Van Wert leads to charges

VW independent staff/submitted information

Two Willshire residents were taken into custody this afternoon after unsuccessfully fleeing from Van Wert Police not once, but twice, first by car and then on foot.

At approximately 1:15 p.m., a Van Wert Police officer observed Jesse James Stemen, 35, in a vehicle. The officer had knowledge of a warrant out for Stemen’s arrest and activated his overhead lights. The vehicle’s driver, identified as Alicia Nicole Funkhouser, 36, failed to yield and accelerated at a high rate of speed southbound on S. Shannon St. When Funkhouser came to the intersection of S. Shannon St. and Fox Rd., she ran a red light and caused a head-on collision with another vehicle. One person in that vehicle suffered minor injuries.

According to Van Wert Police Chief Doug Weigle, Funkhouser and Stemen then ran from the accident and tried to hide from the police in a detached building at a residence directly to the south of Taco Bell in the 11000 block of Fox Rd. However, they weren’t expecting what came next.

“These two individuals picked a bad day to commit these crimes, the Van Wert Special Response team was in the area for training,” Chief Weigle said.

The Van Wert SRT consists of Van Wert police officers and deputies with the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office. While Stemen and Funkhouser were hiding in the building, the Special Response Team deployed a drone to locate the two hiding inside. They refused to surrender, so the Van Wert County Sheriff’s deputy gave commands and then released the the department’s K-9.

Funkhouser sustained bite marks and both she and Stemen were taken into custody. The two were taken by EMS to OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital for treatment from the accident. According to Chief Weigle, they will both be housed at the Van Wert Correctional facility once they are medically cleared.

“I am very happy we were able to get this wrapped up before school let out,” Chief Weigle stated.

Funkhouser is facing charges of fleeing and eluding, OVI, operating a vehicle with no license and breaking and entering, plus an existing warrant for failure to appear. Stemen is charged with fleeing and eluding and breaking and entering.

Chief Weigle also said a significant amount of meth was found in the vehicle. The narcotic will be sent to the lab for an official weight and testing. Once those results are returned, both could face additional felony charges.