HOLLAND, Ohio — The Lucas County Sheriff's Office is still looking for Anthony Alan Biaz Adams, a sex offender who violated his parole and evaded deputies after they claimed he took them on a high-speed chase in Springfield Township on Saturday.
Sheriff's deputies said the chase started off with nothing more than a minor traffic violation. Deputies were patrolling the area near Crissey Road and Hill Avenue when they attempted to pull over Adams before they knew there was a warrant for his arrest.
Sheriff's Office Captain Matt Luettke said the pursuit began when Adams refused to comply with deputies' orders.
Deputies said Adams tore away from the cruiser and started speeding down Crissey Road. The deputies followed close behind and ran his plates, at which point they knew about his warrant. But as Adams drove faster and faster through neighborhoods, deputies claim they began to rethink their approach.
"The speeds became such that the deputies had to back off a little bit, because the way the driver was driving, it posed a threat to the public," Luettke said.
The deputies pulled back but kept Adams in sight, following him down Airport highway. But Leuttke said every second counts in pursuits and that gap gave Adams time to pull off in the area of the 8000 block of Airport Highway and ditch his vehicle. At this point, the deputies were joined by officers from three different agencies. They formed a perimeter and searched the area bush by bush.
"They were out there for some time, trying to locate him and trying to find him, they searched the neighboring areas for him," Luettke said.
But Adams had vanished. Luettke said while frustrating, there are factors that force the deputies to choose between safety and making another arrest, and in this instance, they made the right call.
"Pursuits are the most dangerous thing we do, and law enforcement has to weigh the public safety along with trying to apprehend the individual," he said. "So, it's something the deputy or the officer has to keep in mind when they're chasing somebody."
With Adams still on the run, Luettke said now it's a matter of finding someone who knows where he is.
"He's entered somewhere back into his life, someone knows where he's at, somebody's helping him," he said.
Luettke said residents near the area aren't in any imminent danger because Adams is probably hiding out with a friend and no longer in the neighborhood.
If you have information, you can call or text Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111. You can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.