Authorities say a deadly shooting, vehicle thefts and a stolen police cruiser were connected during a fast-moving series of events across Montgomery County.
DAYTON, OH — A suspect arrested after allegedly stealing a Dayton police cruiser and crashing it into an occupied home is also a suspect in a Miami Township homicide and is believed to be connected to carjackings in Moraine, authorities said.
The events stretched across several jurisdictions late Thursday, Sept. 3, and into Friday, Sept. 4. Police said seven Dayton officers were injured during the suspect’s arrest, while two people inside the home struck by the stolen cruiser were taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening. The suspect was also hospitalized. Authorities had not publicly identified the suspect or the homicide victim as of the latest reports.
The homicide investigation began Friday morning in the 7300 block of Cold Water Court at the Mad River Apartments in Miami Township. Police responded around 8:05 a.m. for a welfare check after a co-worker went to check on a woman who had not reported for work and discovered an open door, according to Miami Township officials. Officers entered the apartment and found the woman dead from an apparent gunshot wound. Police described the case as a domestic homicide.
Investigators also determined that the woman’s vehicle was missing. Miami Township police said they believe the suspect in her death was connected to incidents that unfolded hours earlier in Moraine and Dayton. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was asked to assist Miami Township police with the homicide investigation, while the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office worked to identify the victim. Police said they did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the community.
In Moraine, police were called to northbound Interstate 75 near Dryden Road late Thursday after receiving reports of a man in the roadway. Authorities said the suspect was involved in two reported carjacking incidents. He is accused of assaulting a semi-truck driver while trying to take the truck and then assaulting two other people before stealing a Toyota SUV. Investigators later connected that SUV to the pursuit that continued into Dayton.
At about 11:45 p.m., Dayton officers were handling an unrelated crash near West Third Street and Gettysburg Avenue when the Toyota SUV sped through the intersection, police said. Officers pursued the vehicle as it traveled erratically and entered oncoming lanes. Police stopped the SUV with a pursuit intervention maneuver after about two minutes, but the driver got out and ran. Officers pursued him on foot and temporarily lost sight of him.
Police said the suspect then circled back to the area, entered an unattended Dayton police cruiser and drove away. He struck another cruiser while leaving and led officers on another pursuit. About two minutes later, the stolen cruiser crashed into a home in the 2300 block of Greenway Street. Two residents inside were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and a dog in the home was treated for minor injuries.
The confrontation continued after the crash. Dayton police said the suspect resisted officers attempting to take him into custody, bit one officer and tried to take that officer’s firearm. Seven officers were injured during the arrest, according to police. Six were taken to an area hospital for treatment and later released. The suspect was also transported to a hospital for treatment after being taken into custody.
Police have not publicly detailed the evidence linking the suspect to the woman’s death or released information about a possible motive. Formal charges connected to the homicide and the other incidents had not been publicly announced in the reports reviewed. Miami Township police and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation continue to investigate the homicide, while authorities in Moraine and Dayton are investigating the alleged assaults, vehicle thefts, pursuit and cruiser crash.
Author note: Last updated September 5, 2026.