BLUE ASH, Ohio — A "record number" of tips led to the identification of a carjacking suspect who has been on the run for more than 10 days, Blue Ash police said.
On Sept. 2, the man, now identified to be 24-year-old Jacob Tucker of Dayton, was seen on a security camera at the BP gas station on Pfeiffer Road jumping into the passenger seat of the victim's work van before forcing the man out and driving off with the vehicle.
He then traveled north on I-71 for nearly 70 miles leading multiple agencies on a pursuit.
"We were actually tracking him on a GPS unit the company had installed in the car, so we were getting real-time updates and we were relaying that over the radar and ultimately OSP and Huber Heights Police Department ended up helping us," Blue Ash Police Chief Scott Noel said.
The pursuit ended in the north Dayton area suburb of Huber Heights where Tucker abandoned the stolen van and fled on foot.
Police did not know who or where he was for 11 days.
Noel said after making no real progress in the case, his department decided to share the information with the public by posting photos of Tucker on Facebook Tuesday.
“Our detectives were working from the moment that the offense happened and once we get to a point where we're at a dead end and need some help, that’s when we reach out tot he public," Noel said. "We don’t typically — that’s not our first option is to put anything on Facebook or ask for the public’s help."
More than a week after the incident with no leads, Noel said after sharing the photos with the public, it only took a matter of hours for dozens of tips to flood in.
“I’ve been a policeman over 30 years and it was the most tips we’ve ever had or at least that I’ve ever seen in a short period of time," he said. "They were coming in so fast we couldn’t keep up with them."
Having taken around 20 himself, Noel estimates around 60 or more tips came in via Facebook Messenger, email or phone.
"It's not something that happens in Blue Ash every day and when something like this happens, and people are kind of shocked, it makes them mad," Noel said. "You look at some of the emojis [posted in the Facebook comments] — people are posting 'mad face.'"
As of Wednesday afternoon, Tucker remains on the run.
Investigators have a warrant out for his arrest. He is facing one count of Robbery, a level 3 felony.
Noel said U.S. Marshals are currently in Dayton searching for Tucker. He has a prior history of theft and domestic violence.
If anyone has information leading to his arrest, they're asked to call the Blue Ash Police Department at 513-745-8555 or Crimestoppers at 513-352-3040.
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