Police arrest man after chase through city streets

The Cadillac ran stop signals and ran cars off the road.
YOUNGSTOWN -- A man who thought he might be wanted on a warrant over child support led police on a dangerous, high-speed pursuit from the city into Pennsylvania, Youngstown police reports show.
When it was over, police could find no warrant for Lantano Owens, 32, of Bennington Avenue, Youngstown.
But Owens is now charged with five counts of felonious assault on police officers as well as a traffic citation for disobeying stop signs, fleeing and eluding and driving under suspension.
He was arrested at 7:50 p.m. Monday. The chase, which ended in woods in Pulaski Township, Pa., landed Owens in the Lawrence County jail as a fugitive awaiting extradition. Pennsylvania State Police assisted in Pulaski.
The chase began as officers on routine patrol saw Owens' maroon Cadillac go through a stop sign while traveling east on Rigby Street. The officers tried to do a traffic stop after the Cadillac pulled into a driveway, but as an officer got out to tell the driver to stop, he backed the car out of the driveway, almost pinning the officer against the police car. The officer dived out of the way, and the Cadillac fled south on Jackson Street. Police followed with lights and sirens, and the Cadillac almost crashed at a parking lot at Jackson and Wilson streets. It went east on Wilson, "blowing through" red lights and stop signs, the report states.
Forced cars off road
The car went north on Struthers-Liberty Road at high speed, forcing cars off the road. It continued west on U.S. Route 422, at speeds over 100 mph. Officers backed off their chase because it was dangerous to the public, but kept the car in their sight, the report said.
They caught up with it again as it continued west on Rayen Avenue, crashing into a parking lot at Belmont Avenue and Rayen. It did a U-turn on Rayen and faced police in an unmarked car, accelerating toward the car and forcing it off the road. It then forced a marked cruiser out of the intersection at Belmont and Rayen.
At a speed of more than 100 mph, the Cadillac went east on Route 422. Two marked cruisers chased it through city streets until it was again going east on Route 422. The Cadillac crossed over two lanes of traffic and forced a marked cruiser off the road.
It continued east, running cars off the road, until it crossed into Pulaski Township in Pennsylvania, crashing in woods about 1,500 feet from the New Castle School of Trades.
Police then chased Owens on foot, capturing him in the swamps, the report says.
Owens told police he ran because he thought he had the child support warrant. Police did not find one, but found two open child support suspensions, the report said. The felonious assault charges stem from attempts to ram police cars, the report says.