Man who fled police after crashing into Vermilion Township home, causing explosion, found hiding in vacant house

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - The man who crashed into the gas meter of a Vermilion Township home, causing a devastating explosion, has been taken into police custody.

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office confirms that 56-year-old Kenneth Karnow was found hiding in the closet of a vacant home in the 3900 block of State Road just after 2 p.m.

Investigators say the Vermilion Township home exploded after a car crash Thursday morning.

The crash happened around 3:35 a.m. on the 15000 block of Darrow Road, according to the dispatcher.

Residents of the home, Jen Jackson-Haslage and her husband Trace Haslage, said they went downstairs right after the crash and realized the gas meter had been hit. The couple was able to get their two dogs outside, but the dogs ran off.

Haslage found one dog Thursday morning. The second dog was located Thursday afternoon at a nearby golf course.

Karnow was located nearly 12 hours later at a home approximately 1 mile from the site of the explosion.

This is a developing story. We will update this story as more information becomes available.

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