ASHLAND, Ohio (WJW) — Roaming gangs of car thieves have been targeting auto dealerships across Northeast Ohio, but a group of suspects got more than they bargained for when they broke into a dealership in Ashland over Labor Day weekend.

While responding to an alarm triggered by a break-in at Bill Harris Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram early Monday morning, an Ashland police officer noticed an SUV speeding away down a nearby road and pulled it over.

On dash camera video obtained by Fox 8 News, Sergeant Lee Eggeman is heard shouting, “Step out, face away from me, step out, get out!”

The driver slowly complied with the commands of Sgt. Eggeman and a passenger also got out and got down on the ground. But one of the two men still inside the SUV jumped into the driver’s seat and sped away.

While another officer began to chase the SUV, Sgt. Eggeman placed the two suspects who got out of the vehicle under arrest.

Meanwhile, Ashland County Sheriff’s deputies and Ohio Highway Patrol troopers joined the high-speed pursuit of the SUV, which ended on U.S. Route 42 when the vehicle ran over a set of stop sticks and crashed.

Two men got out of the SUV and fled the scene. That is when one of the suspects, 20-year-old Fernando Evans, was captured while hiding in a wooded area. The fourth suspect was able to slip away.

Fortunately, no one was hurt as the pursuit unfolded.

“It’s a very dangerous situation any time someone doesn’t want to comply with the police. It puts the officers at risk, but more so, it puts the public at risk, and that is something that we as a police department continually have to evaluate,” Ashland Police Department Captain Craig Kiley said.

Detectives say Fernando Evans, 19-year-old Calvin White and a third suspect who was arrested, are all from Cleveland and are facing charges related to the break-in at the Dodge dealership.

“It is believed that their aim is to get high-value target vehicles. You’re looking at your Challengers, your Chargers, your Hellcats, your fast cars that are high in demand,” Kiley said.

Investigators said the same dealership was broken into in May 2022. Those suspects stole several vehicles. One of the thieves was later caught after a high-speed chase.

Police said it appears the suspects in Monday’s break-in did not anticipate how quickly Ashland Police would respond and how law enforcement would be able to coordinate the pursuit and the manhunt.

“It was great teamwork by everyone involved,” Kiley said.

The three suspects who were arrested are being held in the Ashland County Jail. The search continues for the fourth man who got away.