Springfield ‘crime spree’ suspect arrested at pancake restaurant

A 25-year-old Springfield man is due in court this week on felony charges accusing him of burglary, theft and several other charges stemming from a crime spree.

Eric Nelson was arrested Monday at the IHOP on North Bechtle Avenue, Springfield, where he was arrested without incident.

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According to the Clark County Sheriff's Office, Nelson is being detained in the county jail on the following charges:

  • Aggravated burglary
  • Attempted burglary
  • Receiving stolen property
  • Fleeing and eluding
  • Violation of a protection order (out of Huber Heights)
  • Theft (out of Springfield)
  • Open warrants for burglary, theft, traffic control, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and drug possession

The sheriff's office detailed the investigation that led to Nelson's arrest.

On Sunday, just after 3 p.m., a Springfield Twp. resident on Rockview Drive called 911 to report an attempted burglary. The caller reported that someone tried to kick in her back door.

A short time later, a homeowner on Locust Drive in the township reported that a male knocked down his back door with a claw hammer and entered the home.

The suspect fled through the same door and drove off in a tan truck described as the same one seen on Rockview Drive. The homeowner was able to get the license plate information.

Sheriff's dispatch put out a description of the truck and the suspect. A sheriff's deputy saw the vehicle and pursued it east from state Route 4 and Upper Valley Pike into Springfield at high speed.

The sheriff's office learned during the pursuit that the truck had been stolen in Clark County.

The truck crashed at Shaffer and Mulberry in Springfield, but the suspect ran into an alley. With the help of witnesses, deputies were led to the suspect's residence on East Cassilly Street where they found evidence of suspected prior crimes.

The suspect was not there, but deputies were able to identify him as Nelson.

The search for Nelson stopped at that point, until deputies found him at the IHOP on Monday.

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