Ashtabula man sentenced after leading police on multi-city chase, carjacking woman, striking cruiser

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio (WOIO) - An Ashtabula man was sentenced on Friday after leading police on a chase through several cities and carjacking a woman earlier this year.

Jacob D. Montgomery, 32, was sentenced to 11 to 16.5 years in prison for the crime.

In August, Montgomery pleaded guilty to failure to comply, tampering with evidence, attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated robbery, vandalism, and possession of cocaine.

According to a release from Willoughby Police, Willowick Police officers attempted to stop the driver of a blue 2019 Subaru that fled from officers while traveling eastbound on Euclid Avenue at around 8:12 p.m. Wednesday, May 14.

The driver of the Subaru, Montgomery, struck a cruiser before fleeing from a traffic stop.

Police said Montgomery entered Willoughby, and officers attempted to use stop sticks to deflate the tire, but were unsuccessful.

Mongomery then fled into Willowick on SR 84, and Willowick Police officers lost sight of the Subaru and terminated the pursuit.

At around 8:24 p.m., Willoughby Police Dispatch Center received a call that a woman was carjacked at a home on Johnnycake Ridge Road, according to the release.

Officers immediately learned that the Subaru involved in the earlier pursuit had been abandoned in front of the woman’s home.

Police said Montgomery forced the woman out of her car with a tire iron and then fled eastbound on SR 84 with the stolen Nissan Versa.

Kirkland Police located the carjacked vehicle traveling southbound on SR 306 and continued into Geauga County, where the sheriff’s deputies and Bainbridge Police attempted to stop Montgomery.

Police said Montgomery drove into the GetGo gas station shopping plaza on SR 306 north of US 422 in a continued effort to flee, but he lost control of the car and drove into an embankment behind the GetGo and struck a gas pump.

Montgomery then attempted to carjack another vehicle before he was taken into custody, according to the release.

A female passenger was also taken into custody and charged with multiple criminal offenses.

The Willoughby Police charged Montgomery with felony counts of aggravated robbery, robbery, grand theft auto and vehicular vandalism.

Montgomery was also charged with cruelty to animals for having a cat in the back of the car throughout the entire pursuit, and police observed the cat flying around the back of the car.

Montgomery ditched the cat with the Subaru when he carjacked a woman, police said.

After the Subaru was towed back to the Willowick Police Station for processing, the cat was found stuck under the driver’s seat.

The cat was taken to an animal hospital in Highland Heights.

Additional charges are pending from other responding agencies.

Montgomery was later transported to Lake County Jail. He was arraigned Thursday morning in Willoughby Municipal Court.

Montgomery will be held without bond until his next court appearance, according to the release.