(12-20-24) A round 1:15 p.m. on Thursday a Van Wert police officer observed Jesse J. Stemen (35) of Willshire in a vehicle. The officer was aware that Stemen had a warrant and activated his lights on his cruiser in an attempt to pull the vehicle over.
Stemen’s vehicle, driven by Alicia N. Funkhouser (35) failed to stop and instead fled at a high rate of speed on South Shannon Street.
Funkhouser ran a red light at the intersection of South Shannon Street and Fox Road which resulted in a head-on collision with another vehicle causing minor injuries.
The two then fled the crash on foot and attempted to hide from police in a nearby residence’s detached building.
The Van Wert Special Response team was in the area at the time of the crash and aided officers at the scene. A member of the team deployed a drone to locate Stemen and Funkhouser inside the building. The two would not come out after Van Wert County Sheriff’s Officers ordered them to surrender.
A K-9 officer was then released which led to Stemen and Funkhouser’s arrest. Funkhouser sustained bite marks, both were then taken into custody.
Funkhouser also had an active failure to appear warrant.
Funkhouser is facing preliminary charges of fleeing and eluding, breaking and entering, operating a vehicle while intoxicated and operating a vehicle with no license.
Stemen is facing preliminary charges of fleeing and eluding as well as breaking and entering.
Both are being held at the Van Wert Correctional Facility.
Additional felony charges as a “significant” amount of meth was located in their vehicle.
Mercer County Outlook 