Kia vehicle chase suspect sentenced

PERKINS TWP. — A Michigan woman who was part of a pair of people who led police on a high-speed chase in September 2024 after attempting to steal vehicles from a local Kia dealership was recently sentenced. At a court hearing on May 27, Laniya J. Askew, 20, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to one count of failure to comply and one count of vandalism, both of which are fourth-degree felonies. Askew pleaded guilty to the two charges in exchange for the following charges to be dismissed: • One additional count of failure to comply, a third-degree felony • One count of breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony • One count of grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony • One count of receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony • One count of possessing criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony • One count of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony After she entered her plea, Erie County Common Pleas Court Judge Beverly McGookey sentenced Askew to serve three years in prison and was additionally ordered to pay $10,000 in fines, according to court records. Under the terms of her sentencing, Askew will additionally be placed on a mandatory term of two years post-release control, according to court records. On April 30, Askew's co-defendant, Lajuan L. Jefferson, 22, of Pontiac, Michigan, was sentenced to four years in prison for his involvement in the crime. Both Askew and Jefferson were indicted by an Erie County grand jury in October 2024 on multiple felony charges. Background In the early morning hours of Sept. 12, law enforcement was notified of a possible break-in at the Halleen Kia dealership located in the 7500 block of Milan Road (U.S. 250) in Huron Township, near Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. Perkins police Detective Joe Rotuno said that once the law enforcement arrived, they observed some car windows in the building that appeared to have been broken into, as there was broken glass around the vehicles. A Perkins officer approached the dealership and observed the vehicles fleeing out of the parking lot, heading north toward Perkins Township. The officer attempted to stop the vehicles, but due to them traveling close together, the officer decided to attempt to pull over a green Kia Soul that was driven by Askew, which had Michigan plates. The second vehicle, a white Jeep Cherokee, was driven by Jefferson. The pursuit of the two vehicles began shortly before 4:30 a.m. when the green Kia continued traveling north at speeds reaching as high as 85 miles per hour and swerving in and out of light traffic on Milan Road (U.S. 250). The car went through the intersection of Strub Road and continued north past Strub Road. As the green Kia was traveling through the intersection, the white Jeep that a second Perkins police officer was pursuing "attempted to turn west onto Strub Road and failed to negotiate that turn and ultimately crashed through the gate at the Ohio Veterans Home on the corner of Milan and Strub roads," Rotuno said. Rotuno said that Jefferson "jumped out of the vehicle and bailed on foot with the Ohio Veterans Home police department and Perkins police attempting to find him." After passing the Ohio Veterans Home, Askew circled back and headed south toward Hull Road. Askew missed the turn and struck a green sidewalk pole. The pole fell onto the front windshield and smashed into the top of the car. She got back onto Hull Road and lost control of the vehicle as it approached the edge of Hull Road, heading towards the Planet Fitness parking lot. Rotuno said that Askew jumped out of the vehicle, which kept rolling, and struck a parked car in the Planet Fitness parking lot. "The officer got into a small foot pursuit, chased her to the mall, apprehended her and took her into custody," Rotuno said. At around this time, officers set up a large perimeter near the Ohio Veterans Home to find Jefferson. Rotuno said that units from the Erie County Sheriff's Office, Perkins, the City of Sandusky, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Ohio Veterans Home police flooded the area to locate him. Officers were able to determine that the white Jeep that Jefferson had been driving crashed into the Ohio Veterans Home property, had no plates on it, and was a used vehicle listed on the dealership's website.