The man accused of stabbing another man 30 times and stealing a marked Middletown police car was arraigned Friday on charges related to the stolen vehicle.
Investigators said Jonathan Crabtree drove the stolen cruiser at least 50 miles to Independence, Kentucky, where he was arrested. The more serious charges, including felonious assault and stealing the police cruiser, are in Ohio.
The crime was captured on cruiser cam, showing Crabtree eluding police who were searching for him with a K-9 unit after the stabbing. While officers were out of the vehicle, Crabtree circled back, got into the marked Middletown cruiser, and sped away. The cruiser was later seen on a doorbell camera in Independence, Kentucky, going down a dead-end street with its lights still on.
Police were called and quickly arrested Crabtree, recovering the stolen cruiser.
In court, Crabtree identified himself and faced charges related to the stabbing and the theft of the police cruiser. When asked by the judge if he could hire an attorney, Crabtree responded, “I don’t know,” leading the judge to appoint a public defender.
Crabtree was given a $100,000 cash bond for the Kentucky case and another $100,000 cash bond for the Ohio charges. His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 9.
Middletown police said that Crabtree accessed the locked police vehicle through a window, but details about whether the window was broken, if a key fob was inside, or why the car couldn’t be remotely shut down remain unclear.