WILLOUGHBY, Ohio (WOIO) — An Ashtabula man was sentenced Friday to 11 to 16.5 years in prison after a violent, multi-city police chase and carjacking earlier this year.
Jacob D. Montgomery, 32, had previously pleaded guilty in August to multiple charges, including failure to comply, tampering with evidence, attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated robbery, vandalism, and possession of cocaine.
The incident began around 8:12 p.m. on May 14, when Willowick Police attempted to stop a blue 2019 Subaru on Euclid Avenue. Montgomery, the driver, struck a police cruiser and fled the scene, sparking a pursuit that passed through Willoughby and Willowick.
Police deployed stop sticks in an attempt to disable the vehicle, but were unsuccessful. Montgomery eventually abandoned the Subaru in front of a home on Johnnycake Ridge Road in Willoughby and then carjacked a woman at knifepoint using a tire iron, stealing her Nissan Versa.
The chase continued into Geauga County, where Kirtland Police, Geauga deputies, and Bainbridge officers joined the pursuit. Montgomery eventually crashed near a GetGo gas station off SR 306, where he struck a gas pump and attempted to carjack another vehicle before being taken into custody.
A female passenger in the car was also arrested and charged.
In a disturbing detail, police said Montgomery had a cat in the back seat of the Subaru during the entire pursuit. The animal was seen flying around the car due to erratic driving. After the car was abandoned, the cat was found wedged under the driver’s seat and taken to a Highland Heights animal hospital. Montgomery was charged with cruelty to animals.
He was arraigned in Willoughby Municipal Court and held without bond until sentencing.
Additional charges may still be filed by agencies involved in the chase across multiple jurisdictions.
