Man Who Ran From Police Accused Of Driving Drunk In Stolen Car

A man is accused of -- among other things -- driving a stolen car while drunk.

A driver called Mentor Police at about 1:21 a.m. Friday because he was following another driver in a 1995 Ford truck who appeared to be drunk, Mentor Police Lt. Ken Zbiegien said.

A Mentor officer saw the truck in the Hopkins and Plains Road neighborhoods, began to follow it and saw it swerving over the road, Zbiegien said.

When the officer signalled for the truck to pull over, the driver -- Ronnell Burns, 23, of Painesville -- sped up instead, Zbiegien said.

The truck drove as fast as 65 mph on the residential roads until it tried to turn west onto Lake Shore Boulevard near the Hopkins intersection. Then Burns lost control of the truck and drove onto a front lawn, Zbiegien said.

At this point, Burns got out of the car and ran away.

The officer called in Mentor Police K9 Titan to help find the suspect. Titan sniffed out Burns to the 8300 block of Harbor Drive where he was hiding beneath a tarp and boat trailer, Zbiegien said.

Mentor Police repeatedly told Burns to come out from under the tarp but he refused so Titan bit him twice, Zbiegien said.

After the second bite, officers were able to arrest Burns.

Police took Burns to TriPoint Medical Center in Concord Township as a safety precaution where he was treated for his injuries. While there, doctors also took a blood sample to test if Burns was drunk while driving. Then police took Burns to Mentor City Jail.

Burns was charged with receiving stolen property, driving while drunk, resisting arrest, obstructing official business, not having a license, speeding and swerving over marked lanes.

Burns was arraigned Monday morning in Mentor Municipal Court. Acting Judge Paul Miller set his bond at $105,000, which was not posted.

Burns' next court hearing is scheduled for Thursday.