Man accused of carjacking 2 vehicles, including one with kids inside, indicted on charges

WARREN COUNTY — A Dayton man accused of stealing two cars, including one with two kids inside, during a lengthy pursuit through parts of Warren and Butler counties in August was indicted on criminal charges this week, according to the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.

>>VIDEO: Man accused of carjacking 2 vehicles, including one with kids inside

The Warren County grand jury indicted Bryon Finklea Jr., 24, on eight charges including robbery, kidnapping, endangering children, and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, court records show.

Finklea is set to be arraigned on the charges Wednesday afternoon.

>>PREVIOUS REPORT: Dayton man accused of kidnapping, double carjacking, leads state troopers on pursuit through multiple cities

Investigators allege Finklea was the driver who led state troopers on a pursuit August 8 that started on I-75 in Warren County.

Aviation units from the Ohio State Highway Patrol were monitoring for speed violations on I-75 when they recorded a Kia SUV, allegedly driven by Finklea, traveling 100 mph south on I-75. State troopers on the ground attempted to stop the vehicle and initiated a pursuit after it failed to stop, investigators previously said.

During the course of the pursuit, Finklea stole a car driven by a Lebanon man on state Route 63 near the entrance for Trader’s World. Finklea drove off, with the Lebanon man’s two children still in the backseat.

One child was let out of the car near U.S. 42 and state Route 63, the other child was let out in Mason later during the chase, investigators. Neither child was injured.

The pursuit continued into West Chester where the first stolen car driven by Finklea was involved in a crash on Tylersville Road near I-75, investigators said. State troopers said Finklea then stole another vehicle, an SUV driven by a Franklin teen, and took off again, this time driving north of I-75.

State troopers lost sight of the SUV and ended the pursuit. The vehicle was later found in Dayton.

The U.S. Marshal Service SOFAST task force located Finklea and took him into custody at a Dayton home on Redonda Lane August 11. He remains booked in the Butler County Jail ahead of his scheduled court appearance Wednesday, jail records show.

Cox Media Group