FC police allege same woman stole two vehicles in same day, Thursday, May 20, and was arrested both times

By John Estridge

A Franklin County woman accused of stealing a brown GMC Sierra at 6:07 p.m., on Thursday, May 20, in Brookville, received two more felony charges after police allege she tried to steal a Ford Bronco less than eight hours prior to the 6:07 p.m. instance.

Randi Meyer, 34, is now charged with two felony counts of Theft and two felony counts of Resisting Arrest. All four are Level 6 Felonies.

Police said in the Thursday morning event, Meyer stopped momentarily during the police chase and asked a homeowner for a cigarette, and in the evening event, police allege while she was driving the alleged stolen vehicle, she waved at the people she allegedly stole the vehicle from as they sat on their porch.

According to an Affidavit for Probable Cause filed by Franklin County Sheriff’s Department Major Gregory Mehlbauer, the day’s first incident began when the alleged victim called 911 at 10:08 a.m., saying Randi Meyer had just stolen his 1994 Ford Bronco and was southbound on McGuire Ridge Road.

Mehlbauer was westbound on U.S. 52 near its intersection with Shack Road, responding to the call, when he passed a vehicle matching the description of the stolen vehicle, and Mehlbauer said he recognized Meyer behind the wheel.

Unable to get turned on the Bronco, Mehlbauer contacted the Franklin County Communications Center asking the dispatchers to notify the Brookville Police Department of the situation. Mehlbauer later learned Brookville Police Department Sgt. Jeffrey Staat and BPD Officer Dakota Richardson were each stationary in their respective vehicles at the north end of Brookville awaiting the Bronco.

About four to five minutes later, Richardson was behind Meyer’s vehicle, with his lights and siren activated, traveling north on Indiana 101 near its intersection with Fairfield Avenue. Also, behind Meyer’s vehicle were Staat and FCSD Deputy Jason Robinson, in their respective vehicles.

Mehlbauer caught up with the police chase around Ind. 101’s intersection with Cooley Road. The vehicles were going near the speed limit for Ind. 101 at a rate of between 55-60 mph. After the vehicles passed the intersection with Golden Road along Ind. 101, Mehlbauer instructed Robinson to pass the Meyer vehicle, get ahead of the vehicle and then deploy Stop Sticks.

This was all done with the Stop Sticks deployed in the northbound lane of Ind. 101 north of its intersection with Pea Ridge Road.

However, Meyer steered around the Stop Sticks by traveling north in the southbound lane. Mehlbauer said she remained heading northbound in the southbound lane for about one-quarter mile with a southbound semi approaching Meyer’s vehicle. Just before a head-on collision occurred, Meyer went back into the northbound lane.

She continued northbound until she came to the Bath Road intersection where she turned right, which is east. After the pursuit continued along Bath Road for a while, Meyer drove off into a field and paralleled the road going now in a westbound direction, heading back toward Ind. 101. Officers remained on the road paralleling Meyer.

“At one point, when Meyer was off road, she drove into a residential yard, driving in between a tree and a home,” Mehlbauer said in the Affidavit. “The homeowner was outside at the time. I later found out, Meyer asked the homeowner for a cigarette (and) then drove off when pursuing officers got to her location.”

Meyer eventually turned south onto Ind. 101 with the police still in pursuit. At a field access lane, Meyer exited Ind. 101 and began doing donuts in the grassy field. At one point, she started heading toward a private campground. An officer responded to the campground, but Meyer went back into the field. Eventually, the vehicle entered a low-lying area of the field, and the Bronco became stuck.

The officers approached the vehicle with Richardson giving Meyer loud verbal instructions to exit the Bronco. Meyer was responding with screamed profanities. She eventually exited the vehicle but refused to get in a prone position. Robinson and Mehlbauer attempted to handcuff Meyer, but she resisted. Mehlbauer applied an arm-bar take down, and she was handcuffed.

She was taken to the Franklin County Security Center where she was later released on her own recognizance. Police said less than eight hours later, she stole the brown GMC Sierra in Brookville. At that time, she also refused to stop and eventually was arrested in a private drive off High Street in Brookville.

On Monday, May 24, Franklin County Prosecutor Chris Huerkamp filed a motion to have Meyer’s bond revoked or increased due to the subsequent arrest and felonious charges filed after she was released on her own recognizance.