Passenger sleeping as man steals car texts cops for help from inside, Ohio police say

A man’s plan to steal a car went awry last weekend when officers received a text message from a passenger inside the stolen vehicle, Ohio cops say.

The passenger was asleep in the backseat of an Audi when Justin Vaughn stole the car around 1:15 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, in Findlay, according to Tiffin police. Vaughn, 32, took the car from a Hyundai dealership as the victim was attempting to trade it in, according to WTOL.

Police said the passenger texted police to alert them of the Audi’s location. It’s unclear if Vaughn knew someone was in the vehicle when he is accused of stealing it, but the passenger said he was concerned over “Vaughn’s threatening behavior,” WKTN reported.

About 10 minutes later as Vaughn reached the town of Tiffin — about 55 miles southeast of Toledo — officers said they attempted to pull him over. Vaughn fled and they eventually stopped him when cops “performed a slow speed vehicle termination maneuver,” according to police.

Vaughn was charged with felony aggravated robbery, kidnapping, theft of a motor vehicle and fleeing and eluding police.

The passenger in the vehicle was uninjured.

Tiffin police credited sheriff’s offices in three counties, as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol, for helping bring the “incident to a safe resolution.”

This story was originally published January 18, 2022 at 11:05 AM with the headline "Passenger sleeping as man steals car texts cops for help from inside, Ohio police say."