More charges filed against chase duo

VW independent staff

Multiple felony charges have been filed against a pair of Willshire residents accused of leading Van Wert Police on a short chase, then fleeing on foot last month.

According to a report from the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office, deputies served Jesse James Stemen, 35, and Alicia Funkhouser with warrants on Thursday afternoon. The warrants were served at the Van Wert County Correctional facility, where both are being held pending court proceedings.

Stemen is charged with aggravated trafficking in drugs, a first degree felony; aggravated possession of drugs, a second degree felony, and another count of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth degree felony. He’s currently being held for violating probation and will be sentenced on that charge February 5 in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court. 

Alicia Nicole Funkhouser, 36, is charged with aggravated trafficking in drugs, a first degree felony; aggravated possession of drugs, a second degree felony,; failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third degree felony, and aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth degree felony. She’s currently being held on $50,000 bail.

The two were arrested December 19 after unsuccessfully fleeing Van Wert Police twice – once by car and the other on foot. A Van Wert Police officer observed Stemen in a vehicle driven by Funkhouser and had knowledge of a warrant out for Stemen’s arrest. He activated his overhead lights and Funkhouser failed to yield, then accelerated at a high rate of speed southbound on S. Shannon St. She then ran a red light while turning on to Fox Rd., causing a head-on collision with another vehicle.

The two took off on foot 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.

The Van Wert Special Response Team was training nearby, and members deployed a drone to locate the two. They refused to surrender, so the Van Wert County Sheriff’s deputy gave commands and then released the department’s K-9.

Funkhouser sustained bite marks and both she and Stemen were taken into custody, then were taken by EMS to OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital for treatment from the accident.

A Van Wert Police report noted a significant amount of meth was found in their car, which led to the latest charges.

As of Friday morning, it was unknown when the two will answer to the charges in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.