A Canton woman who stole items from Tanger Outlet Mall Jeffersonville and then fled authorities in a high-speed pursuit has been sent to prison for three years.
On Monday in Fayette County Common Pleas Court, Lashana Y. Elliott, 41, pleaded guilty to failure to comply, a third-degree felony, and theft, a misdemeanor of the first degree. She also admitted to the specification contained in the grand jury indictment, which stated that Elliott’s operation of a motor vehicle from the March 4 incident “created a substantial risk of serious physical harm to persons or property.”
Judge Steven Beathard sentenced Elliott to a term of three years in prison on the failure to comply count. She was also sentenced to 180 days in the Fayette County Jail on the theft count, which was to be subsumed into the first count. Her three-year prison sentence is also to be served consecutively with a prison sentence out of Stark County, Ohio.
A lifetime suspension of Elliott’s driver’s license was also ordered by the judge.
At around 3 p.m. on March 4, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Polo Ralph Lauren store at Tanger, located at the Interstate 71/US 35 intersection, on a theft complaint. A deputy found a vehicle — a blue Nissan Rogue SUV — that matched the description provided by the complainant.
A deputy approached the vehicle, which was backed into a parking space, while identifying himself and showing his badge to the woman seated in the driver’s seat, according to reports. The female, later identified as Elliott, allegedly put the vehicle in reverse and struck a vehicle parked behind her.
The deputy told her to roll down the window, which she did briefly before immediately rolling it back up, reports said.
“The vehicle was in drive and I ordered the defendant to place the vehicle in park,” the report stated. “I told the defendant to exit the vehicle, but instead she just stared at me through the window. I sensed the defendant was not going to comply and possibly flee. I told the defendant not to leave several times, however, she placed the vehicle in drive and drove off.”
Elliott departed the area and turned right on State Route 435 heading west and failed to stop for a red light, reports said. She continued west on SR 435, weaving around traffic until she turned north onto the I-71 on-ramp. Deputies gave chase as the pursuit went on I-71 North into Madison, Pickaway and Franklin counties, regularly exceeding speeds of 100 miles per hour.
The pursuit finally ended on I-71 just north of I-270 after a Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper deployed stop sticks on the roadway. Elliott was taken into custody, and numerous shopping bags with stolen items were found inside the vehicle.
Reach Ryan Carter at 740-313-0352 or on Twitter @rywica
