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Man charged in miles-long driving rampage through Pleasant Ridge neighborhoods, leaving destruction behind

Video shows the suspect driving through lawns and into poles, court documents say a passenger was stuck inside
Molly Burke's fence and garden destroyed
Molly Burke's garden before the damage (September 2023)
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CINCINNATI — Pleasant Ridge residents were left shaken after a car went on a destructive rampage throughout the quiet neighborhood Friday night.

Videos making their way across social media show a car driving up onto people's lawns and crashing into property. Residents told WCPO 9 that some of them were left with serious property damage.

According to multiple residents across the Pleasant Ridge neighborhood, a marked truck was seen speeding through their streets. Residents told WCPO 9 the truck was driving through people's lawns, into poles, and even side-swiped several vehicles.

Law Enforcement reported that Benjamin Rowland was cited on Friday, March 14th, near Quatman Avenue and Montgomery Road.

Hamilton County Court records report that Rowland has been charged with Operating a Vehicle Impaired, Failure to Control and Unlawful Restraint. Court records state that the final charge stems from Rowland allegedly having a passenger in the truck with him and refusing to let them out of the car.

Watch the video of the suspect caught on camera below:

Man charged in miles-long driving rampage through Pleasant Ridge neighborhoods, leaving destruction behind

WCPO 9 spoke with Brian Fielden, who lives with his family on Orchard Lane, and witnessed the car going back and forth on his street. He said he was in his backyard grilling, when strange noises brought him to his front yard.

“Stopping and starting from a car, you know screeching, revving engines, grilling tires," Fielden explained.

That's when Fielden said he saw the car drive up and down his street.

“He came through here, right between the tree and the silver car there, and stayed in the next two or three houses' front yards," said Fielden.

Fielden sent WCPO 9 multiple videos of the situation. One was from his neighbor, which showed the suspect driving through his neighbor's yards, while another video included the sound of what Fielden said was the driver crashing into a pole.

Less than a mile and a half down the road, WCPO 9 met with Molly Burke and her husband Nate Gorgen. The couple said they were out on the 14th, until a neighbor called.

“I got a call from our neighbor. Like, not panic nobody was hurt, but that our fence had been slammed into," said Burke.

The couple came home to find their front fence had been left in ruin, as well as their garden.

“There’s not much we’re going to be able to salvage out of this unfortunately," said Gorgen.

Molly Burke's fence and garden destroyed
Molly Burke's fence and garden destroyed

Burke sent WCPO 9 a video from Friday night of the initial damage and the bumper left behind in her yard. The license plate left on the bumper matched the license plate written in court documents.

The couple told WCPO 9 their children were playing at a neighbor's house when the crash happened.

“It is like, a little nerve-wracking to think about how somebody who, I mean, it was kind of crazy to think how they just kind of turned into the fence," said Burke.

The family said they've put years of work into their garden, which has been ruined.

Molly Burke's garden before the damage (September 2023)
Molly Burke's garden before the damage (September 2023)

Officials have not reported any injuries following Friday's incident.

Rowland is scheduled to appear again in court on Monday, March 31st.

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